Pen pals in Philippines

In the Philippines, Christmas starts when the month names start ending in "-ber". From September onwards you may hear carols in shopping centres and see decorations going up, and the season builds through to Simbang Gabi, a series of nine dawn Masses from 16 to 24 December, before winding down in early January. If your pen pal says it already feels like Christmas in October, they are not exaggerating.

Thousands of islands, many languages

The country is made up of more than 7,000 islands, grouped broadly into Luzon in the north, the Visayas in the middle and Mindanao in the south. Each region has its own food, festivals and, very often, its own language.

The official languages are Filipino and English. Filipino is based on Tagalog, the language of Manila and much of central Luzon, but it is far from everyone's first language: well over a hundred languages are spoken across the islands, including Cebuano, Ilocano and Hiligaynon. A common misconception is that every Filipino speaks Tagalog at home. Plenty grew up speaking something else and learned Filipino and English at school. Many people also mix English and Tagalog in casual conversation, a style often called Taglish.

That makes the Philippines a comfortable place to find a pen pal if you write in English, since English is widely used in schools, government and business. If you want to learn Filipino, ask your pen pal to sprinkle in everyday phrases. You will soon meet po, a small word added to sentences to show respect, especially to older people.

Wet, dry and stormy

The country sits in the tropics in the northern hemisphere, so instead of four seasons people talk about a dry season and a rainy season. The rainy months, roughly June to November, also bring typhoons, and classes are sometimes suspended when a strong storm passes. If your pen pal goes quiet during a big storm, a short check-in message is kind.

The public school year has recently moved back to starting in June and running until around March or April, so the long break falls in the hottest, driest months of the year rather than in July and August.

Holidays worth knowing

• Christmas season, as above, from the "-ber months" to early January.
• Holy Week, the week before Easter, is a major observance in this largely Catholic country, and Maundy Thursday and Good Friday are public holidays. The date moves with Easter.
• Eid al-Fitr is a national holiday, reflecting the country's Muslim communities, many of whom live in Mindanao. It follows the Islamic lunar calendar and moves each year.
• Independence Day is 12 June.

Questions to open with

• Which language did you grow up speaking, and when do you use Filipino or English instead?
• What does your family do between September and Christmas?
• Which island or province are you from, and what food is it known for?
• What is your daily commute like?

International post can be slow, so many pen pals keep things digital and send postcards for birthdays or Christmas. For tips on bridging different customs, read our guide to writing across cultures.