How do Filipinos celebrate the Lunar New Year?
At the beginning of the new year, Vientiane is renewed, and the streets and alleys of the whole country are filled with the joy of the New Year. But you know what? In addition to our country, there is another country in Southeast Asia that attaches great importance to the Spring Festival, and even includes the Spring Festival as a statutory holiday. This country is the country of a thousand islands , the Philippines.
In fact, the customs of the Philippines are very close to the mainland, and the Lunar New Year is one of the most important festivals in the Philippines.
2022 Philippine holidays © Effie study abroad
So, how do filipino friends spend the Lunar New Year? Today I will share it with you
Filipino Lunar New Year customs
1. Dragon and lion dance
The Dragon and Lion Dance will never be absent from the Philippine Lunar New Year. Like Chinese New Year customs, Filipinos pray for the blessing of the dragon with a dragon dance in order to obtain smooth winds and rains and abundant grain. Use the lion dance to ward off evil spirits and pray for good luck.
2. Sweep the dust
Before the arrival of the New Year, the filipino friends will do a good job of retiring the old and welcoming the new in advance, and one of the important things is to sweep the dust (cleaning)! Everyone will clean the house, turn on the lights at night, and welcome the new year in the most mental state.
3. The wallet is stuffed with cash
In addition to removing trash and dust, Filipinos try their best to clear their debts before the New Year arrives and try to fill their wallets with cash, because that symbolizes that the coming year can be a lot of money.
4. Wear clothing with dots or red clothing
During the New Year, costumes with dot elements can be seen everywhere on the streets of the Philippines. Locals believe that wearing a costume with a dot on new year can bring good luck, because the circle symbolizes prosperity and wealth, which is similar to Chinese wearing red clothes and expecting the next year to be "red and hot".
At the same time, Filipino Chinese also wear red clothes and believe that red will bring good luck. This Filipino Chinese New Year tradition has been passed down from generation to generation, and has even affected the non-Chinese community.
5. Open the doors, windows and lights
Before New Year's Eve, people open all the doors, windows, cabinets, drawers and lights to welcome good luck.
6, make "noise" to drive away bad luck
During the New Year, Filipinos believe that noise can drive away bad luck, so everyone will honk their horns, blow horns, set off firecrackers, set off fireworks, etc., and use the most lively form to drive away cattle, ghosts and snake gods, and welcome a new beginning.
7. The child jumps high 12 times
At the moment of the New Year, the children will jump 12 times, and the higher the jump, the better, because then they can grow taller. Although everyone later knew that this was unscientific, it was harmless and could make the child have fun.
8. Media Noche/Chinese New Year's Eve meal
Filipinos, who are as family-oriented as Chinese, have a reunion dinner on New Year's Eve, which they call Media Noche. Family members bring mouth-watering delicacies to their own, gather for a late-year dinner.
The beginning of the Philippine Lunar New Year
rice cake
Tikoy (rice cake) is the most popular delicacy during the Philippine Lunar New Year, which is a food made from sticky rice. Filipinos believe that "eat rice cakes in the new year, and live a high life every year".
Twelve large circles
When welcoming the New Year, Filipinos place 12 round fruits (12 large circles) in their homes, and 12 fruits represent the 12 months of the year, which is believed to ensure a full and fulfilling life for the whole year ahead.
It is not difficult to find that the Philippines is very similar to the mainland in terms of new year's traditional customs and diets, which shows that the cultures of China and the Philippines have a long history. If you have the opportunity to study or travel to the Philippines, you may wish to try to experience the Philippine New Year in the local area, I believe you will feel more intimate.