Kalimitang binibigyan ng mga ninang at ninong ang kanilang mga inaanak ng regalo, o pera, tuwing Pasko bilang aguinaldo at “pamasko” sa mga ito.

Ngunit nagpaalala ang Simbahang Katoliko sa mga bata na bibisita sa kanilang mga ninong o ninang bukas, na ang pagmamano (blessings) ay sapat na bilang regalo, lalo dahil ito naman talaga ang dapat nilang hinihingi.

“On Christmas day, the real aguinaldo that you ask for is your Ninongs’ and Ninangs’ blessing (mano po),” saad sa Facebook post ni Caloocan Bishop Pablo Virgilio David.

“If they give you anything else, say ‘Thank you po’, but don’t forget to tell them that their blessing is more than enough. ‘Yun ang tunay na diwa ng pamamasko,” aniya.

Dati nang sinabi ni Fr. Carmelo Arada, ng Manila Archdiocese’s Commission on Liturgy, na kailangang itama ang pag-iisip na dapat hingan ng mga bata ng regalo ang kanilang mga ninong o ninang tuwing Pasko.

“It is as if the essence of the relationship with a godparent and a godchild is gift giving only during Christmas. The godparent must journey with their godchild for that person to be a good Christian, a good person,” aniya.

“We have to correct, through formation, that idea that you go to a person to gain something from the individual,” sabi ni Arada.

“They are second parents to their godchildren, so the real role and the real gift and lasting gift to their godchildren is to guide them in their lives,” dagdag pa niya.

-Leslie Ann G. Aquino