In the Philippines, the star-shaped Christmas lantern is called a parol.
A parol is a Filipino ornamental lantern displayed during the Christmas season. Its best-known form is a five-pointed star, representing the Star of Bethlehem and guiding worshippers toward the Nativity. Traditional lanterns were made from bamboo and Japanese paper, while modern versions may use plastic, metal, capiz shells, or electric lights.
The custom developed during the Spanish colonial period from lanterns carried in religious processions. It became associated with the nine-day Christmas novena leading to Simbang Gabi, the series of dawn Masses held before Christmas. Lanterns were also connected with Panunulúyan, a pageant depicting Mary and Joseph’s search for lodging in Bethlehem.
The word comes from the Spanish farol, meaning lantern. The five-pointed star design became standardized during the American colonial period; oral accounts credit Pampanga artisan Francisco Estanislao with making an early star-shaped parol in 1908. San Fernando, Pampanga, is famous for its elaborate giant lanterns and hosts the Giant Lantern Festival. A parol is not the same as a luminaria, piñata, or belén.