A basement room in the Mint Mall has been transformed into a brilliantly colored storeroom of handmade parols -- star-shaped lanterns that signal the start of the Christmas season in the Philippines.

This year, I found a new way to celebrate my heritage through parols, colorful star-shaped lanterns. By Matt Yan When I was a kid, Christmas at our house always looked like a Hallmark movie, as if my ...

HONOLULU (HawaiiNewsNow) - Many Filipino homes hang a star-shaped decoration for Christmas called a “parol”, from simple ones made of paper to elaborate modern ones with bright blinking lights.

The parol festival held in part by FilAm Arts in Los Angeles (photo by Nailah Barcelona, courtesy FilAm Arts) The five-pointed parol has long been a symbol of the holiday season in the Philippines.

The procession held the Christmas lanterns high and slowly circled the gardens, vanquishing the December darkness. Want the latest on the Mission and San Francisco? Sign up for our free daily ...