SHOCKING REVELATION
Frightened by the terrifying message brought by people who claimed that 2012 will be the end of everything?
In fact, some people already admonished their visions, particularly the past year. However, it seemed to be just a fraudulent act. Well, there’s no one who can possibly tell when that doomsday will be. They either just wanted to make people skeptical or uplifting every individual’s faith to our Almighty Father.
New Year Celebration in the Philippines is all about driving out bad luck or bad spirits and welcoming in good luck for the coming New Year. And this very celebration is known for three words: foods, superstitions and resolution.
FOOD
Holiday is not complete without food feast in every round table in every house. If Christmas has Noche Buena, we celebrate the New Year’s Eve by sharing a midnight meal with our family called the Media Noche. These banquets signify family union and celebration. The food fluctuates. Some serve an all-out feast. Some serve simple meals.
12 round fruits are also advised for New Year that will bring good luck for the family.
HERE IS A LIST OF MUST-HAVE FOODS IN NEW YEAR
PANCIT
Uncut noodles are served for long life. The two favorite noodle dishes during the Chinese New Year in the Philippines are pancit bihon and pancit canton.
WHOLE FISH
To invite wealth and happiness in the upcoming year, dishes are served that are homophones for words that signify good fortune. For example, the Chinese word for "fish" sounds like the word "surplus" as in a surplus of wealth.
VEGETABLES
Although most Chinese Filipinos are of Christian faith, Buddhism retains influence in their culture, and it is a Buddhist belief that you are cleansed by eating green vegetables.
SWEETS
Kids love chocolate gold coins with their shiny foil wrappers. Candy and other sweet things such as dried fruit and candied lotus root are given in a traditional Chinese box or tray. The "Tray of Togetherness" is octagon-shaped and has eight compartments. Eight is considered the luckiest number by the Chinese.
PEANUTS AND SEEDS
Cooked sunflower and pumpkin seeds are among the food items that are included in the compartments of the traditional Chinese New Year tray. Melon seeds are dyed red to symbolize good luck.
POMELOS, ORANGES AND PINEAPPLES
The most popular fruit during Chinese New Year is mandarin oranges or tangerines because of their round shapes and golden color.
Because oranges were not widely grown in the Philippines and were only imported in recent decades, suha (the local pomelo, sort of like a large grapefruit with a very thick rind) has became the Philippine fruit that one gives away or serves to visitors during the Chinese New Year season. As for the pineapple, it resembles the word for "prosperity" in Hokkien, the Chinese language of most Tsinoys.
SUPERSTITIONS
According to Tagalog lang.com there are so many interesting Filipino superstitions or folk beliefs associated with New Year's Eve and New Year's Day in the Philippines. Filipinos say you should observe the following customs and traditions to ensure that the New Year being welcomed is a prosperous one. Many of these superstitions bear a strong Chinese influence.
>>> Make as much noise (firecrackers and any alternative source of noise) as you can to scare away evil spirits.
>>>Turn on all lights so that the coming year is bright.
>>>Open all doors, windows, cabinets and drawers to let good fortune in.
>>>Debts must be paid off. Fill your wallet with fresh peso bills. (Filipinos believe that whatever your financial state is in at the stroke of midnight, so it will be in the New Year.)
>>>Clean everything.
>>>Wear polka-dots. Anything round signifies prosperity.
>>> Scatter coins around the house, on tabletops.... inside drawers...
Some preferred to have lucky charm that gives fortune in every aspect of life such as money, social life, relationship and even longevity.
RESOLUTIONS
A new year spurs people to change their ways and selves to be better, that is why New Year’s Resolutions seem to be a must in our to-do list before the year ends and a new year comes.
..Spend More Time with Family & Friends
This needs no explanation, every second, every hour and every day we always desire to spend more time with the people that we love and care for.
After many parties, events and bulging foods from left to right during the Christmas season, Filipinos are sure to have gained some weight, that’s why for the next year we aim to burn down all the fat that we took in the past year.
..Enjoy Life More
New Year’s Resolution’s aims at making us better versions of ourselves, with these resolutions we contemplate about what we do wrong and we lack of that we try to change or reform.
..Learn Something New
We may have done so many things in our life last year but we seem to not get enough of everything that a new year is a new and perfect time to start to do something else that we have not tried before.
..Save more money
After spending so much during the Christmas season, being generous seems to take its toll as the year comes to an end leaving us empty pockets… which spurs us to change our impulsive spending ways and convert it to frugal and prudent spending ways.
THE REALITY
To live more a meaningful and worthy life, at this very moment, let’s start the year with a commitment to God. Let’s open our heart and seek for God’s purpose.
A year full of memories, maybe bad or good, or tragedy or victory should be left along the way as 2011 fades and 2012 rises.
Have a Prosperous New Year to all!
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