Nothing sparks holiday memories like the first carols we learned as kids. And because we love a good Christmas throwback, we asked our favorite Kapamilya stars to revisit one of their earliest festive memories by answering a simple but nostalgic question: What’s the first Christmas carol you memorized?
Queen of Pinoy Soap Operas Judy Ann Santos recalled that the first Christmas carol she ever memorized was the classic “Jingle Bells.” She shared that the song is easy to remember and comes with a universal experience for many of us, “Tsaka kapag ‘Jingle Bells’ ang kinakanta mo sa caroling, ‘matic ‘yan may sayaw, so may extra piso kami.”
Living up to its timeless charm, “Jingle Bells” was also the first caroling song Angelica Panganiban learned by heart. Richard Gutierrez shares the same experience and even throws in the Pinoy staple “Ang Pasko ay Sumapit.”
Switching to something more solemn, for Asia’s Superstar Kathryn Bernardo, the first caroling song she picked up as a kid was the hymn “Silent Night.” She recalled a sweet childhood memory about how she learned it, “Nung bata ako, may isang scene sa isang [project] then pina-memorize nila ’yun, so hanggang ngayon every time I hear that song, it brings back so many memories.”
On the Filipino side of things, both Jane de Leon and Dimples Romana pointed to the traditional pamasko song “Sa May Bahay Ang Aming Bati” as the first Christmas tune they memorized.
Another standout choice came from Iza Calzado, picking Jose Mari Chan’s well-loved holiday anthem “Christmas in Our Hearts.” She shared that it became iconic throughout her childhood, and even today, the song continues to play everywhere during the festive season.
Singing a quick snippet, Asia’s Songbird Regine Velasquez-Alcasid mentioned the timeless “Jingle Bells, which she believes is the first caroling song most of us grew up singing, simply because it's one of the easiest songs to learn.
To cap things off, Divine Diva Zsa Zsa Padilla recalled that the first caroling tune she learned was “Pasko Na Naman,” a true Pinoy favorite. “I was a young kid tapos nangangaroling kami sa mga kapitbahay, so it must be it,” she shared.
Hearing our Kapamilya stars look back on their first caroling songs reminds us how music ties us to our childhood, our families, and our happiest Christmas moments. Whether it’s “Jingle Bells” or our favorite Pinoy carols, these songs remind us the joy of singing our hearts out especially during the holiday season.