QUITE expectedly, this Quezon City residence is as cheery, festive and bright as the singer-actress who calls this place home.

True to form, Jolina Magdangal?s house is twice as jolly every Yuletide season.

?It?s not as brightly lit as the houses on Policarpio Street in Mandaluyong, but it?s cheerful enough to make us feel the holiday spirit,? Jolina points out.

Still, it?s all the more special because Jolina?s parents personally decorated it.

?With our helpers, my mom took charge of the interiors and my dad, the exteriors. He put up the Christmas lights and lanterns outside,? she says.

Jolina?s mom Paulette attached each and every single glittery ball and ornament to the bows of holly that line each door in the three-story home.

It took two days to finish the décor ? consisting of hundreds of dazzling trinkets which they usually store in boxes in the attic, mom says.

Some of the pieces were shipped from abroad, but most are precious finds from various local bazaars.

Rare ornaments

?We got a lot of rare ornaments from bazaars,? Jolina says. ?Some exporters only bring out their products once a year, come bazaar time.?

The tin Nutcracker soldiers at the entrance were from one such holiday bazaar.

This one?s a regular bazaar gal.

Her boutique, Jolina?s Fashion Gallery, is part of the annual Noel Christmas Bazaar at the World Trade Center (Dec. 18 to 20) this year. ?It?s for a good cause. Proceeds will be donated to the GMA Kapuso Foundation, the Associate Missions of Assumption and Bantayog ng mga Bayani,? she says.

Yet another holiday tradition is shopping for her numerous godchildren.

Jolina has lost count on the number of kids who call her ninang. ?My mom and I divide my Christmas shopping list so it wouldn?t be that stressful.?

This year, Christmas came early for the Magdangals.

?When I got home from Singapore middle of November, the house was already decorated,? she recounts.

Perfect tree

They found the perfect tree, all seven feet of it, this year.

In the previous years, it was either too short or too tall. ?This year it was just right. It didn?t scrape the ceiling,? she says.

When Daddy Jun was small, his father would bring home a fresh pine tree from Baguio.

?My dad tells me that a real tree smells good,? she says.

Every year, the Magdangals follow home-spun holiday traditions.

?I make it a point not to accept work on Christmas and New Year?s Eve,? she says.

After Midnight Mass and Noche Buena, gift-giving follows. ?On Christmas Day, we drive to our Tagaytay home.?

Every year, the Noche Buena and Media Noche tables are filled with all sorts of specialties whipped up by mom.

?There?s arroz caldo, spaghetti, ham, queso de bola and hot chocolate,? Jolina enumerates.

Christmas isn?t complete without mom?s pasta dish.

?It?s the best spaghetti I?ve ever tasted,? Jolina says with pride. ?Since my sister Miel, niece Hannah and I don?t know how to cook, we just help my mom set the table.?

Although they?ve moved houses half a dozen times, they?ve maintained their New Year rituals in each new home, says Jolina?s dad Jun:

?Before the clock strikes 12 on Dec. 31, I turn on the radio full blast. My youngest son Jonathan and I prepare the fireworks and turn on all the lights and faucet.?

Jolina?s mom, for her part, would throw coins (saved up during the entire year) all over the house.

?We?d all scramble on the floor for the coins,? Jolina says. ?We?d fight to get the most number. It?s fun.?

The rest of the year, the 1,200 sq. m. house remains just as buoyant. The Greek structure is complemented by an eclectic design?Murano crystals and Lladro figures are displayed side by side with Filipino antique pieces.

A cherished piece is the Last Supper sculpture crafted by a Paete artist. Dad?s paintings are displayed alongside art works by Angelo Baldemor, Rodolfo Ragodon, among others.

Jolina?s fave spot is the terrace, with its breathtaking views of the San Mateo mountains at dawn and dusk.

?I like hanging out at the terrace?meditating, thinking and reminiscing,? she notes. ?I love watching the sunrise and sunset and I go stargazing at night.?

It?s the best spot to pray as well, she says.

?I feel closer to God looking at the mountains and the sky,? she says.

She has plenty to be thankful for, Jolina adds. ?I?ve been in the business for 20 years. I couldn?t have accomplished all this without my family. They not only served as inspiration; they also worked side by side with me.?

E-mail: bayanisandiego@hotmail.com