Another event that is widely observed around the world is New Year, and Filipinos won't lag behind in terms of preparation.
Every country has their fair share of unique traditions and rituals as the new year approaches, and it's no news that Filipinos practice lots of their own superstitions and beliefs on welcoming new year. The adjective "superstitious" is one of several that would be used to characterize the culture of the Filipino people, and New Year's Eve is the biggest festival that is bombarded with these superstitious beliefs.
List of New Year's Traditions
Filipino traditions are unique. Filipinos continue customs to the fullest in order to celebrate the prosperity that the upcoming year will bring. The majority of it is focused on attracting wealth and abundance. From the simplest things like having a grand meal with the family to quirky beliefs like jumping as high as you can as the clock strikes twelve o'clock.
Here is a list of the things you can do in your condo home to practice the Filipino tradition in you this new year.
Media Noche
Now, this one simply cannot be missed. The historic Filipino tradition of Media Noche is essential to the Filipinos' New Year's celebration. According to legend, the Spaniards, who ruled the nation for more than 300 years, left behind this custom. Filipino families, friends, and relatives meet on New Year's Eve for a magnificent midnight feast that represents their wishes for a prosperous and fruitful year ahead. In addition, some of the most cherished Filipino foods are served during this period of family reflection and development.
Round-shaped fruits
The center of the Media Noche is typically represented by spherical fruits. Filipinos hold the Chinese tradition that the shape "round" represents prosperity and good fortune. The spherical fruits represent wealth because they have a shape similar to vintage gold and silver coins. However, thorny fruits like pineapple, jackfruit, and durian should be avoided because they represent difficulties or problems throughout the year. Grapes can also be hung from doorways, and for added good luck, one should eat the roundest grape at midnight.
Eat long noodles
The symbolism is already so obvious: the length of the noodles represents having a long life. The Chinese tradition of eating noodles to promote longevity is primarily observed during birthday and Lunar New Year festivities and Filipinos think that eating long noodles during the new year will help bring luck and also symbolizes good health and long life. The preferred dish is pancit, and each family has a special recipe for it.
Eat sticky rice
Filipinos are renowned for having a strong sense of familial ties. They believe that consuming delicacies like tikoy, biko, and bibingka, which are produced from sticky rice, will strengthen the relationships between families. This superstition comes in two forms. The stickiness represents a close-knit family in the first and in the second, the stickiness acts as a magnet to attract luck that follows the person. In any scenario, sticky rice-based meals are always provided during the New Year's celebrations.
No chicken or fish
Despite how tasty they are, eating fish and chicken on January 1 might not be the best idea. The belief is that since chickens have wings, your luck might too. People believe that by doing this, they will also experience scarcity and bad luck in their life because chickens and fish are representations of scarcity. Therefore, offering these at a dinner table on the first day of the year is definitely not acceptable.
Fill all the containers
It's always best to ring in the new year in splendor; therefore during the celebration of the new year, many Filipinos make sure their water and rice containers are full since they believe that this will ensure their prosperity all year long. This ritual is something that families practice to prevent hunger and food scarcity in the home throughout the year to come. Before the clock strikes midnight, containers of staple foods like rice, salt, and sugar are completely filled to make sure they stay that way throughout the upcoming year.
Wear polka dots
Ultimately, anything round symbolizes a successful year ahead. You're mistaken if you believe that making loud noises, eating fruits with a round shape, and shaking coins will be enough. If you utilize circular accessories or an outfit with polka dots during the transition to a new year, it will be like extra luck and wealth for the following year.
Jump as high as you can
If Cinderella must return home when the clock strikes midnight, then Filipinos must jump to get taller when the new year approaches. It's common for every child and even adult you see to jump erratically at the stroke of midnight. Folklore holds that jumping causes you to heighten up your, well, height.
Loud noises
Whether it comes from karaoke, television, music speakers, or even car horns, Filipinos make a lot of loud noises at exactly 12 o'clock. The ultimate purpose of this is to be as loud as we can to ward off evil spirits and unfavorable feelings for the new year. Lighting fireworks and firecrackers has many purposes other than just making the new year beautiful.
Scatter coins around the house
To distribute good fortune and money around the house, people scatter coins in various locations. The next year will be prosperous and wealthy if coins are thrown around the house. People also carry coins in their pockets while anticipating the start of the new year, jiggling them when the clock strikes midnight. They think that by doing this, they will bring luck for the coming year.
Turn all the lights on
Every light in the house is turned on as a statement of hope for a happy and productive new year. Turning on all the lights at the start of a new year means that the home will have a brighter, more upbeat ambiance, and that everyone's careers will as well, so make sure to keep them on!
Open all doors and windows
Families leave their windows and doors open on New Year's Eve in anticipation of the approaching year. They believe that by doing this, bad luck and energy will leave the house and be replaced by positive energy. If you are wary about burglars, you can just open the drawer or closet doors instead.
Pay off debts
It is said that whatever your financial situation is when the clock strikes midnight on January 1 will remain the same for the remainder of the year. On New Year's Eve or New Year's Day, refrain from borrowing or lending money. It's terrible karma as it may take you the entire year to pay off debts or get your money back. A debt-free New Year's should be the ideal scenario.
Don't spend on January 1
Filipinos think avoiding spending a single peso at the beginning of the year will result in better financial management for the whole of the year. As a result, many Filipinos would prefer to stay in on January 1 in order to save money.
Don't clean on January 1
On average, Filipinos would clean everything up and discard anything that was no longer needed in the days before January 1, but never on that day itself. They think that cleaning and sweeping the house at the beginning of the year will "sweep" away the luck that arrived on New Year's Eve. You're not even supposed to wash the laundry or sweep the floor. Ah, what a fantastic excuse to not tidy up the home.
Practicing Interesting Superstitions and Traditions
“Walang mawawala kung ikaw ay maniniwala.”
You might find some—maybe most—of these Filipino superstitions and traditions absurd (let's just call them unique instead), but hey, there's nothing wrong with trying it out for yourself, right? Each culture has a unique way of accepting foreigners. Who cares if they sound random? Why not choose safety over regret? Who knows, maybe it works for you!
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