Filipino New Year Traditions And some New ones That We Love
New Year’s Eve is a time for a fresh start, new resolutions and new goals, but for Filipinos the practice of old traditions are in full effect! New Year celebrations are filled with fun and interesting Filipino beliefs; some heavily influenced by Chinese and Spanish culture. Have you ever wondered what these traditions and superstitions mean? Feel free to use this helpful list while getting ready to ring in 2023. Who knows, maybe these special traditions will bring you everything you have always dreamed of! I’ve also listed a few of my Filipino-American family traditions.
NEW YEAR’S EVE TRADITIONS
Right when it hits midnight, make as much noise as you can to scare away evil spirits. Filipinos celebrate with tons of fireworks and bang pots and pans. The louder the better!
Turn on all your lights so that the coming year is bright.
Open all doors and windows to let good fortune in. While you’re at it, open all drawers and closets too. I know, it’s cold, there is no rule on when to close them, so close them when you want to.
Pay off your debts and fill your wallet and pockets with money. Filipinos believe that whatever your financial state is at midnight, that’s what it will be throughout the year.
Scatter coins around the house, on tabletops, and inside drawers for more prosperity.
Clean everything that way your home will be clean all year long!
Children need to jump twelve times at midnight to increase their height.
Wear polka-dots. Anything round represents prosperity.
FOOD TRADITIONS
Prepare 12 round fruits, one for each month of the coming new year. The fruits have to be on the dining table by midnight. Round fruits symbolize riches and will bring you good luck in the next year. However, do not use fruit like pineapple, or jackfruit; their thorns and spikes may symbolize problems.
Have a very round grape in your mouth at the stroke of midnight. Eat 12 of them and you’ll have more good luck!
Eat sticky rice to make good fortune and family “stick” in the new year. Rice cakes like bibingka and biko are magnets for good luck, which means that good fortune will remain with you all year. Filipinos value family, so they do everything they can to strengthen those ties. A family that eats sticky rice together, will stay together.
Eat pancit! Long noodles means long life.
ON NEW YEAR’S DAY
Don’t clean! You might sweep away the good fortune that came in on New Year’s Eve.
Don’t spend money! This first day of the year will determine your money management in the coming year.
I love all these traditions, mostly because my mom implemented them while I was growing up. Here are some Fil-Am traditions that I have incorporated into my family celebrations, along with those I mentioned above:
Watch the Times Square Ball Drop: The spectacle has been a staple of New Year's Eve celebrations with hundreds of thousands of people partying the streets, and millions watching from home.
Midnight Kiss: Starting the year with a kiss is said to improve your ventures in love.
Countdown to Midnight: Build anticipation by doing a 10-second countdown to midnight, which also helps prepare your kids for their jumps and eating your grapes. Please be careful when you do this because we don’t want anyone choking on grapes!
Make a List of Resolutions: Yes, I have my kids do this too. Believe it or not, resolutions are said to have been around since ancient Babylonian times. When writing out this year's goals, remember that for approximately 4,000 years, people have been working toward achieving their resolutions.
Vision Board: Every year, In Her Purpose has held vision board workshops where we manifest good health, wealth, success and love. We are happy to report that a lot of what was visualized in the past years have come to fruition. So why not keep at it! On New Year's Day, we announce the workshop date so if you want to join, message us!
Are you already incorporating these traditions into your New Year’s celebration? If so, which ones, and have they worked for you? If you can relate to any of these, let us know! We would love to hear them.
Written By Rose Buado
Business and Life Purpose Professional Certified Coach
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