MISA DE AGUINALDO VS. MISA DE GALLO

PART OF SERIES, "PASKO 2025: DISCOVER THE CHRISTMAS"

Author: Ken Klark L. Flores

Photo: amie malazarte / Pinterest

Introduction

Many parishes and cathedrals, often the dawn masses from December 16 to 24 as Misa de Gallo. But, some said, it's not "Misa de Gallo", it's "Misa de Aguinaldo", because the Misa de Gallo is for December 24 before the midnight on Christmas Eve. So, what comes the interchange these terms?

Proper Liturgical Use vs. Contemporary Use

In contemporary use, Misa de Gallo and Misa de Aguinaldo are generally used interchangeably to refer to the nine-day series of dawn Masses (known locally as Simbang Gabi) leading up to Christmas Eve, a deeply rooted Filipino tradition (FACT-CHECK: Simbang Gabi, Misa de Aguinaldo, and Misa de Gallo, 2023). However, both have distinct meanings in Proper Liturgical Sense: Misa de Gallo (Spanish for "Rooster's Mass") originally and technically refers to the specific Midnight Mass celebrated on Christmas Eve (December 24th) to mark the birth of Jesus Christ. Misa de Aguinaldo (Spanish for "gift mass" or "Christmas gift mass") is the proper liturgical term for the novena of votive Masses held at dawn for nine consecutive days preceding Christmas, from December 16th to 24th (Rapayla, 2025).

Today, especially in the Philippines, the distinction between the terms has largely blurred. The phrase "Misa de Gallo" is the more popular term used by the general public for the entire nine-day novena of dawn Masses. Some churches now offer evening Masses (often called Simbang Gabi to avoid confusion with the dawn time) or various times of day to accommodate modern work schedules. Completing all nine masses is considered a devout practice and is popularly believed to grant a special favor or blessing. 

Reference

FACT-CHECK: Simbang Gabi, Misa de Aguinaldo, and Misa de Gallo. (2023, December 23). PressOnePH. https://pressone.ph/fact-check-simbang-gabi-misa-de-gallo-and-misa-de-gallo/

‌Rapayla, M. (2025). “Misa de Gallo.” Scribd. https://www.scribd.com/document/359799182/Misa-de-Gallo

See Also:

SIMBANG GABI ANG MISA DE GALLO