12 Strange Filipino Traditions on New Year's Eve

The Philippines probably has the longest holiday season in the world. We usually feel the Christmas spirit in September and it carries on until a week after the New Year. Filipinos love the revelry of the New Year and despite being deeply religious, we still believe in traditions deeply rooted in pre-colonization tribal practices; in Chinese, Indian, and Spanish culture; and local folklore. Modern times have debunked most of these beliefs; however, some still take it to heart especially during New Year celebrations. I am guilty of some; I guess it won't hurt to follow the customs and traditions that have been handed down from generations. Most may seem silly, and you may have to experience a typical Filipino family New Year celebration to believe it. 

Photolink

1. As a child, I was "forced" to wear a shirt or a dress with a polka-dot design. It is believed to bring wealth and good luck for the coming year. This may be attributed to the Chinese' love for round things which signify infinity. When I asked my grandparents for the reason why I had to wear a polka-dot shirt, my grandparents would say that it symbolizes money. The dots were supposed to be coins. So then, the next year, I stopped wearing anything with polka-dots. I did not want coins, I wanted paper money! That is when I started wearing striped shirts.

2. New Year's Eve attires did not end with wearing polka-dots. It was also required that our New Year's Eve attire should be predominantly red. It was believed that the color red is for good luck. Again, another trait we have imbibed from the Chinese whose custom is to hand out little red envelopes or "hong pao" during New Year. When I was young, I didn't care much about what my parents or grandparents made me wear on New Year's Eve. I just hated the fact that our family pictures made us look like the Von Trapp Family Singers - all wearing the same design of clothes - red with polka dots.

3. It is strictly forbidden to spend on the first day of the New Year. We should get everything we need for the house or for personal use before the New Year. It is believed that spending on New Year's Day would mean losing money for the whole of the coming year. Do not be surprised to see Filipinos raiding the grocery store or the wet market. It is our time to "legally" hoard goods.

4. We have to make sure that once midnight strikes on New Year's Eve, we have money in our pockets. This is believed to ensure that we will have money all year round. There was a time that I knew I slipped a 500 peso bill in my pocket, only to find out that I lost it as I joined in the revelry of welcoming the New Year. For the years after that incident, I only kept coins in my pocket. After all, there were no set rules about how much you should carry in your pocket. 

5. To ensure that you would not go hungry in the coming year, it is a practice to fill the rice bin to the brim. Same goes with the salt and sugar containers. If you have a water reservoir, fill it too. Keep it full until after the first day of the New Year.

6. A fruit tray should be filled in 12 different kinds of fruit and placed in the center of the dinner table. This symbolizes 12 months of bountiful food for the family. My mother religiously abides by this practice. Come the second day of January, we would be "forced-fed" with the fruits that she bought. 

7. The family's New Year's Eve feast, called "Media Noche" (Midnight) is composed of dishes that are specially made, the result of hours and hours of labor in the kitchen. There are some requirements, though. There should always be something made out of sticky rice, to symbolize family togetherness. There should be fish, another custom inherited from the Chinese. Fish in Mandarin in called "yu" which also means "surplus" or "excess." Therefore, having fish on the dinner table on New Year would guarantee the family that they would have "more than enough." We are not supposed to have chicken or any winged animal. I have no idea where this tradition came from. It is believed that having chicken or turkey for New Year is bad luck because the family's finances or livelihood would just "fly away." Noodles are also a staple. This symbolizes long life.

Photolink

8. Small clusters of grapes are hung on every window and door of the house. This is believed to welcome in good luck. When I was little, this was my grandmother's task. My cousin and I had the time of our lives standing on stools and grabbing a grape or two when grandma was not looking. Grapes are expensive in my side of the world and New Years was the time for us to indulge. 

9. One of the things I also looked forward to when I was a child was the "money shower." My grandparents, great aunts, and uncles would have bags of coins with them and say "Happy New Year!" while throwing a handful of coins for us little children to grab and keep for ourselves. They believed that doing this would mean money will continuously flow into the house. (Just like the Christian virtue of giving and sharing) These coins were considered "lucky" and were not to be spent. Good luck with that! Those coins were soon to be money for candy and chocolate bars.

10. All doors and windows must be kept open at midnight. This is believed to make the good luck come in. In a gated community, this would work, but not in areas where robbery is rampant. 

11. At the stroke of midnight, all children are supposed to jump up and down. We were told to take extra effort to jump as high as we can. The reason for this is that it is supposed to make us grow taller. I did believe in this and made sure I jumped like crazy on New Year's Eve. Did I grow tall? Nope. After all those years of jumping when I was a kid, I only grew to be 5 feet 1 1/2 inches. I wonder... if I didn't jump on New Year's eve when I was a kid, would I have been a dwarf?

Photolink

12. Lastly, it is a rule that no one must be asleep at the stroke of midnight. In my family, even babies are lifted out of their cribs to join in the festivities. The reason for this is supposedly so that no one would be left out in receiving blessings of good luck and good fortune. 

Christmas and New Year's are two big Filipino family celebrations. It is the time to bond with family members we rarely see. It is the season to feast on sumptuous food and share stories about life. It is giving, sharing and togetherness. It is all about smiles, laughter, and cheer.. even if I have to wear polka dots. 

Have a Blessed New Year everyone! Don't forget to say a prayer of thanks to God for the graces we received for the past year and for giving us the blessing of another New Year!

Elf Yourself: Our Yearly Christmas Video Fun!

In this blessed season of Jesus' birth, I give thanks to God for giving me my happy, wacky, perfectly imperfect, loving family!

The Reunion: Where Laughter is Endless and Smiles are Widest

It is a yearly event my family look forward to - The Reunion. I remember we've been doing it every year since I was a little kid. The venue would always be at my maternal grandmother's house in southern Metro Manila. When my grandmother passed away, the tradition remained intact. 

Years ago, our grandmother and great aunts would be in the kitchen preparing a special Christmas meal. Our mothers would sit around the dinner table chatting. Their husbands would be outside, having a few beers and talking about their careers while us kids would be running around, playing hide and seek or showing off our new toys.

Now, our mothers are getting to be a little old (Shhh...they don't want to be called that). We don't spend time in the kitchen anymore during reunions. We either do a potluck party or my cousin calls in a caterer to serve a sumptuous buffet. Whatever we decide to do, it is always a fun time to catch up with cousins. We do not live that far apart, but our schedules keep us way too busy to meet up frequently.

I am sharing with you pictures of my family's 2014 Christmas Reunion, held at my cousin's new house in south Metro Manila. 

My cousins and me (I am the one in the purple shirt). The top left photo (L-R) shows my youngest sister, my first cousin, my other sister, and me. The top right photo is me, my sisters and cousins together.

These are our gorgeous children - the next generation to give rise to equally gorgeous kids

Me, my poppa bear and the bear cubs

The selfie pictures. Oh my royal chubbiness!

A collage of smiles and good times

I hope you enjoyed viewing our pictures. Family is a gift that is to be treasured. Wishing you blessings of a good life, happiness in your heart, and warmth of family togetherness.

Have a meaningful Christmas everyone!

One Tree a Year at Christmas

Months ago, I planted an avocado seed in a flower pot. I was never really sure if it would grow, but it did! It was starting to get too big to be in a flower pot so I decided it was time to have my avocado seedling replanted in a vacant space in the neighborhood.

I asked the help of the village utility man to do the task of digging a nice round hole in the ground. He did a very good job! Now my avocado seedling will have a new home and will grow and bear fruit. 

It will officially be MY Christmas tree. I have helped "green" the earth and soon, people from nearby houses will get avocados for free! Maybe next Christmas my little tree will be big enough that I can hang some decorations on it to make it look a little festive. 

This will be my yearly activity of giving back to the environment. One tree a year at Christmas. Hmm... Now, what kind of tree will be next year's project? Any suggestions?

Help Someone Out of Poverty This Christmas

Christmas is a time for giving. In a little over two weeks, we become pre-occupied with searching for a perfect gift to give our loved ones. Something special that will not collect dust on the shelf or be stacked away in the closets for the rest of their life. It is indeed a difficult task to search for a perfect, meaningful gift. 

The past few days I have been pondering on helping someone get over their misery. Everyday on my way home from work, I see families living under bridges, children begging in the streets, minors selling flower leis to earn a few coins. The news of poverty and hunger in some parts of the world is heartbreaking. Children who have been reduced to skin and bones brings me to tears. 

Last year, on Christmas eve, I packed a hot, home cooked meal, a fruit and a bottle of water in a brown paper bag and walked around my neighborhood to look for the old, homeless man who sleeps on the sidewalk. When I found him, I gave him the bag and said, "Merry Christmas, Sir. Please eat and enjoy your Christmas dinner." He looked at me with those eyes that were full of disbelief. I had to turn away before I started to cry. I looked up to heaven and whispered, "Thank You, Lord, for the blessings you have given me. I know I complain a lot about things, but pointing me to this poor homeless man has given me deeper appreciation of what I have. I am truly blessed." 

This Christmas, I have once again been pointed to a mission that would help my brothers and sisters who are trying their best to live from day to day. A noble group of people are working to alleviate the suffering of the people in sub-Saharan Africa. Send a Cow is an organization that helps raise funds to bring these people out of poverty. Based in the United Kingdom, this charitable group extends their kindness to a country thousands of miles away. Send a Cow works with poor families in seven African countries, providing practical farming assistance that will last for generations to come and supporting families through every step of their journey out of poverty.

This year's goal is to be able to raise 20,000 festive gifts that will definitely make a difference to poverty-striken families in Africa. To help increase awareness for this campaign, Send a Cow tapped their ambassador, Gloria the Cow, wearing a specially made, custom fit jumper sporting designs that represent the gifts that can be found in the Christmas Catalogue. 2014 marks the 13th year of Send a Cow's Christmas catalogue, the proceeds of which have helped over a million people (and counting!) overcome poverty. 

This is Gloria the Cow, modelling her custom made knit jumper

If you really want to make a difference, now is the time. Speak to your family and friends. Encourage them to spare a little to make a BIG impact for a family thousands of miles away struggling to survive. Better yet, send your friends a card that says  "I am giving you a special gift this Christmas. I have donated to Send a Cow  in your name. Thank you for making someone's life better this Christmas. I hope you do the same and pay it forward." 

You can view the Christmas Catalogue here. For more information, contact Cow PR at sendacow@cowpr.com. For print copies of the catalogue that you can show your friends and families, please contact 01225 874 222 (U.K.)

There has never been a better time than now to feel the true meaning of Christmas. 

Note: This is NOT  a sponsored post. I have been given an opportunity by Send a Cow to practice my Christian faith by increasing awareness for the purpose of alleviating poverty in Africa.

Pain Relief For Your Beloved Pet

Two weeks ago, my son's 4 month old puppy named "Fang" was run over by a speeding scooter. Fang suffered a deep scrape in his groin area, and being so young, he was crying non-stop. He was immediately taken to the vet to check for fractures and/or internal bleeding. Luckily, it was only the wound that was causing his discomfort.

The veterinarian prescribed antibiotics, a cream preparation for the wound, and a pain reliever, vetprofen. (Read more about the product info using this link: http://entirelypetspharmacy.com/vetprofen-75-mg-240-caps.html) Fang was kept in the pet hospital for three days to ensure he gets IV fluids and to monitor him for other symptoms that might point to something else. The pain medication worked wonderfully, because Fang was back to his normal frisky self after three days. 

My son Aton and Fang, a Pomeranian-Spitz mixed breed

When your pet is in pain or has undergone medical or dental procedures, ask your vet about vetprofen. It is such a good product I would recommend it to pet lovers if I were a veterinarian.