Halloween is over, which means Christmas is just around the corner. In some households in the Philippines, where the Yuletide season begins as soon the brrr months (weather used to turn cooler in September) set in, merry begins when spooky ends. Out with the witch’s hat, in with the star on the Christmas treetop! 

But are you done with your holiday shopping? If not, let the solemn hymns and the festive tunes of Christmas and its sparkling lights make it so much more fun to tick off items on your list. If yes, this is the time to wrap those gifts and put them under the tree and watch the kids try to peek into them every night until Christmas Day. “We miss something when we don’t see Christmas through a child’s eyes,” said Sister Rosemary M. Wixom, and those eyes, full of wonder, eager to be shown and to show love, sure can’t wait to see what’s in the box under the tree.

Rustan’s at Christmastime—even during the pandemic—is always a fairytale experience, a wonderland not only for children but also for adults, for mother, father, brother, sister, girlfriend, boyfriend, bestfriend, and everyone, replete with tinsels, bells, nutcrackers, snowglobes, bears and deer and horses, wreaths and baubles, sleighs and trains, and angels with golden wings. 

This year, the department store that’s been an icon for Christmas shopping for the entire family for over 70 years is elevating its commitment to spread cheer by focusing on renewal, imparting, as it stated at the opening of its season’s campaign “Light Up This Christmas at Rustan’s,” the values of family, tradition, and togetherness. Everything, including the trees adorned with stuffed moose, reindeer, little drummer boys, and trumpeteers, is a call for hope, positivity, and happiness, echoing the sentiments of many at this time of great, dramatic, sometimes overwhelming changes. 

Rustan’s is the ultimate destination for all things Christmas, heralded by its windows, a dazzling spectacle of larger-than-life lights inspired by the Philippine Christmas lantern, the parol. Inside, it’s a trove of curated treasures, big and small, lavish and simple, that are sure to match the grandness of the season, suit every taste, and bring cheer all around. If you have yet to complete decorations at home, take cues from the featured themes at Rustan’s, from Chinoiserie, fusing Oriental and European cultures, to winter wonderland. It’s the best place to take the family, especially the children in whose eyes the holidays are sure to sparkle even brighter, not just for shopping but also to experience and bond over the joys of the most wonderful time of the year. 

Check out Santa’s Candy Land, outsized in its candy decorations, candy canes, and gingerbread accents, with a Nutcracker collection in a vast range of designs and colors that’s sure to make a collector drool.

Enter the world of Snowman, and imagine a snowflake gently perched on your eyelashes as you take in Rustan’s all-out, expanded version of the White Christmas, headlined by Frosty the Snowman, jolly figurines, snowglobes, and miniature scenes of the Christmas Village crafted delicately but with precision, looking exactly like your vision of Winter Wonderland.

But if you’re shopping for the kids, practice a little stealth. Keep them waiting with bated breaths until the magic of your love unravels fully at the drop of a ribbon or upon tearing the wrappers off their surprise gifts on Christmas Day. Not only is shopping guaranteed to be fun with all the merrymaking going on at every floor of the glittering department store, in which awaits the most perfect gift for your children, no matter how old they are, you’re also in for a treat with various special promos and markdowns.

It’s even easier now with the return of the classic Rustan’s Christmas Registry, in which you have a clear idea of what will make each one on your list happy. What’s more it’s even partnered with a Charity Registry linked to a local welfare program to give you the opportunity to reach out to less fortunate and vulnerable children this Christmas. 

If shopping is not your thing, leave it to the expert Personal Shopper at Rustan’s. Dial the Personal Shopper On-Call hotline 0917-111-1952, from 10 a.m. to 7 p.m. and then you can sit back and relax while all the shopping is done for you, with a sales associate dedicated to your satisfaction.  You may collect the gifts via curbside pick-up or they may be delivered to you for free for a minimum purchase requirement of ₱5,000.

Still afraid you can’t handle the stress of Christmas shopping? Here are a few gift ideas for you. But remember, it’s Christmas, a season of giving—Shine bright and share the light. As Little House on the Prairie author Laura Ingalls Wilder once put it, “Our hearts grow tender with childhood memories and love of kindred, and we are better throughout the year for having, in spirit, become a child again at Christmastime.” www.rustans.com