Hep-Hep? Hooray! Iconic Christmas Party Games Every Pinoy Should Know

Filipino Christmas is nothing like others. As early as September, Pinoys begin hanging their Christmas decorations and sparkling parols and setting up their Christmas trees. Inside malls, you’ll also get to hear the Christmas tunes sung by Mariah Carey and Jose Marie Chan, among others, even if the holiday season is months or weeks away.

One thing that makes Christmas in the Philippines more exciting is the chance to bond with loved ones. Often, Filipino families gather to celebrate this festive day and party over delicious food, joyous tunes, and presents. To make the celebration merrier, there are even games where laughs, prizes, and special moments shine.

In this article, we've rounded up the most iconic games you can play at Pinoy Christmas parties, may it be among families, friends, schoolmates, or workmates. Get your game faces on and prepare your strategic wits!

Pinoy Henyo

Probably the most common game played in any Filipino party, Pinoy Henyo is a popular guessing game derived from the Filipino noontime show “Eat Bulaga.” The game requires two players: one guesser and one who will give the clues. The guesser must find out what word or phrase appears on a tag placed above their forehead. They can ask the other player questions to discover what the word is. The catch? The other player can only answer “yes” or “no,” or else the team will incur a penalty. If you’re looking to test your wits, this is the game to play!

Bring Me

The objective in this game is simple: bring the host anything they demand! The game host will shout a certain item that players should carry to where the host stands, and the first one to bring the item wins. Just a warning, though: the host has complete control over the game, so they can ask you to bring even the most ridiculous items you could think of.

Newspaper Dance

This game will bring your family closer together—quite literally. From the name itself, the game has two main elements: a sheet of newspaper and your best dance moves. Played by teams (the number of members may vary), the game starts with a whole sheet of newspaper sprawled across the floor. The music will start playing, to which every player should dance. When the music stops, each team member must fit inside the newspaper sheet. Every round, the newspaper will be folded in half until it’s the smallest possible size it can be folded at, or until there’s the last team standing. If you’re participating in a newspaper dance, make sure you pack a brain full of tactics and well-exercised joints. We assure you, you’ll need ‘em!

The Singing Bee

Filipinos love unleashing their inner divas at parties with karaoke—to the point where they made a game that relates to it. Inspired by a world-popular game show of the same name, “The Singing Bee” will test your knowledge of music and your talent for singing. To win this game, one must be able to complete a certain part of a song’s lyrics that the host will play. It can also be the song’s title or singer. To further feel the holiday cheer, Christmas songs may be played. Wrong or incomplete answers will result in elimination, so make sure you have a lot of songs in store!

Trip to Jerusalem

Making parties chaotically fun is Trip to Jerusalem. Also known as Musical Chairs, the game is characterized mainly by chairs set up in a circle with one less chair than the number of players. During the game, players will dance around the chairs until the music stops. When the tunes come to a halt, each player must sit on a chair, and the one who fails to secure a seat is eliminated. One chair is removed each round, and the last player who sits on the last chair takes the throne. Trip to Jerusalem is a game of strength and agility, so make sure to keep your eyes and ears open, as well as your muscles pumped!

Hep-Hep Hooray

Are you quick on your feet? This game is perfect for you! Popularized by the Filipino TV game show “Wowowin,” Hep-Hep Hooray is a simple yet challenging game that requires alertness and eagerness to win. When the host places the microphone in front of a player, they should clap their hands below their waist and yell “Hep-Hep.” Then, another player, to whomever the microphone lands, must complete the chant by yelling “Hooray,” while raising their hands in the air. Pro tip: Always look at the microphone and memorize the gestures!