8 Filipino Traditions on New Year's Eve & Day

Aside from Christmas Day, New Year's Eve is also an important occasion for Filipinos around the world. It is not only a night of lavish foods, street party, firecrackers and reunions, it is also a day of traditions and superstitious beliefs. Here are 8 of the most famous New Year's Eve and Day:

1) Making a lot of noise of any kind - firecrackers, torotots, pots and pans, stereo, etc. - to drive away bad luck.

2) Preparing noodles and sticky native rice cakes - for long life and closer family ties

3) Wearing red or polka dots dresses - to be financially sufficient

4) Collecting 12 or 13 round fruits - for prosperity

5) Not sweeping out dirt/dust from the house - to maintain the good luck

6) Putting coins in pockets and money on wallets - to have money all year round

7) Jumping at exactly 12:00 midnight - to get taller

8) Making sure the rice container is full - to have food all year round

Whether these traditions and superstitious beliefs shall bring good life, good fortune and prosperity to the family or not, they continue to be practiced year in and year out.

XIN NIAN KUAI LE!

That's "Happy New Year" in Mandarin! Tomorrow, 07 February 2008, is the start of the Chinese New Year. 2008 is the Year of the Rat.

My sister is a believer of feng shui, chinese charms and crystals. Today, she advised me to buy 8 different kinds of sweet and round fruits and to put them in our table until tomorrow. Nothing to lose, I purchased a pineapple, a mandarin, an orange, an apple, a melon, a ripe mango, a peach and a bunch of green grapes. These fruits symbolise wealth and prosperity. I also bought a piece of rice cake and "kakanin" from the Filipino store in the Mall. The stickiness of the cake and its sweetness is for the maintenance of sweet and sticky relationship in the family.

Here in Australia, particularly in Parramatta where we live, the local government and the Chinese community organised a Twilight Noodle Market at Prince Alfred Park where everyone has a chance to taste Chinese foods especially different kind of noodles.

Pupunta kami at nang makakain ng pancit canton, bihon, miki, lomi at kung anu-ano pang noodles. Ewan ko lang kung kakayanin ng bulsa ko kasi may bayad! Hindi kaya magkabuhol-buhol ang mga noodles na ito sa aking katawan.