Ligligan Parul is the giant lantern festival held in San Fernando, Philippines, before Christmas.
The Giant Lantern Festival, known locally as Ligligan Parul, takes place in San Fernando in Pampanga. It is held on the Saturday before Christmas Eve and features large, brightly illuminated lanterns made by competing local communities.
The lanterns developed from simpler religious lights used during the Christmas season. Over time, makers added elaborate geometric designs, electric bulbs, and synchronized patterns. Some modern lanterns are several metres wide and contain thousands of individually controlled lights.
San Fernando is widely known as the “Christmas Capital of the Philippines,” and the festival is one of the country’s major seasonal attractions. The event is sometimes called simply the Giant Lantern Festival, while Ligligan Parul is its Kapampangan name.