In addition to traditional foods, Christmas Day generally features cookies, like (pineapple tart), (from Dutch ), or putri salju. Malaysia Although Christmas is a public holiday in Malaysia, much of the public celebration is commercial in nature and has no overt religious overtones. Occasionally, Christian activist groups do buy newspaper advertisements on Christmas but this is largely only allowed in English newspapers and permission is not given every year. The advertisements themselves are usually indirect statements. There has been controversy over whether or not the national government has exerted pressure on Malaysian Christians not to use Christian religious symbols and hymns that specifically mention Jesus Christ. However, in East Malaysia, which covers northern Borneo, Christmas is a huge celebration due to large number of indigenous people who practise Christianity. Celebrations in Christian majority districts in the states of Sabah and Sarawak can last until after New Year's Day with families and political leaders hosting Open Houses, namely parties which are open to anyone. Drinking of alcohol is widespread during this period and a call by a Muslim political party to ban alcohol was met with widespread outrage. Philippines Christmas in the Philippines, one of two predominantly Catholic countries in Asia (the other being East Timor), is one of the biggest holidays on the calendar and is widely celebrated. The country has earned the distinction of celebrating the world's longest Christmas season, with Christmas carols heard as early as September 1 when the Ber Months season traditionally begins. The season is officially ushered in by the nine-day dawn masses that start on December 16. Known as the Misas de Aguinaldo ('Gift Masses') or Misa de Gallo ('Rooster's Mass') in the traditional Spanish, these masses are more popularly known in Tagalog as the , and are held in Catholic parishes and chapels nationwide. Usually, aside from the already legal holidays which are Rizal Day (December 30) and New Year's Eve (December 31), other days in close proximity such as Christmas Eve (December 24), (December 28), and Epiphany (traditionally, January 6 but now on the first Sunday of January) are also declared non-working days. As in many East Asian countries, secular Christmas displays are common both in business establishments and in public, including lights, Christmas trees, depictions of Santa Claus despite the tropical climate, and Christmas greetings in various foreign languages and various Philippine languages. Occasionally such displays are left in place even