"Some" Filipino New Year Practices:
1. Fireworks - They say that the loud noises drive away the bad spirits and bad luck of last years.
2. Keep windows open - To allow good spirits to enter the house.
3. Turn on all the lights - For good luck in all areas of the house.
4. Jump up and down - This was said to make you grow taller. Uh hello, it certainly didn't work for me!
5. Wear polka dot printed clothing - Signifies coins/money. And have coins inside your pockets and make it jingle at the stroke of midnight for good luck.
6. Have 12 different round and sweet fruits - Having it will bring luck and prosperity.
7. Pay off all debt and do not spend on New Years Day - Just so you won't have any debt in the coming year. And spending money on the first day of the year means that you are letting go of money which may cause you to have money problems for the whole year.
8. Run on the first day of the year - Do this and you will PR in all your races for the year.
And the list goes on....
Ok the last one I just made up. LOL! How I wish it was THAT easy! :p
Personally, I really don't believe in this but it's in our culture and still practiced by many. Uh hello...every friggin' year I jump up and down and it didn't work for me! I'm still small. LOL! But #7 sounds like a good/practical idea.
I was searching for fireworks display here in California and the nearest would be at the Disneyland Park. I guess, this new year will be a quiet one for us. What's important is we're all together. My parents and siblings are staying with us over the weekend and I started cooking our food yesterday. Will do more cooking and cleaning today. Busy day!
Gosh, I can't believe it's gonna be 2011 already tomorrow! Thank you 2010! It was an awesome year! But I believe 2011 will be 100 times better! I'm claiming it in Jesus' most powerful and mighty name!
Can you believe that a decade has passed since we we entered the millennium?! Wow!
May the next 10 years be the best 10 years for you and your family!
Happy New Year My Dear Bloggy Friends!!!
Thanks for sharing the Filipino customs for celebrating the New Year. I enjoyed reading the list. :-)
ReplyDeleteWouldn't keeping the windows open allow all that smoke to go in the house?
ReplyDeleteEither way I am up for not spending money tomorrow and I am going to make that the first and only tradition for me and the family.
May you, Mike and the newly accepted 'baby girl' have a Happy and Safe New Year!
happy new yer.
ReplyDeletei want to wear clothes with polka dots and jump up and down and have fireworks. that sounds like fun.
Happy 2011! it will be a good one! :)
I love all of your super-fun traditions! Happy New Year!
ReplyDeleteHappy New Year!!!
ReplyDeleteThanks for entering my giveaway :)
Happy New Years. I really like no. 7. My wife tells me that it is really crazy in the Philippines come New Years. Fireworks is an understatement. lol. More like, Watch so you do not lose an arm or leg in the process of just going out. lol. At any rate, Praise be to God for allowing us another year, let alone, another day for living.
ReplyDeleteHappy New Years to you too!! I love fireworks. I can't wait to do some tonight!!!!
ReplyDeleteI love the idea of paying off all your debts and not spending any money. It's a great way to start a new year.
ReplyDeleteLove reading about these different customs. My brother's wife is from Thailand and they have some fun things they do. We spent New Years 2009 in Thailand and it was so fun to experience a different culture for The New Year! Happy New Year Julie!
ReplyDeleteI hope you have a very happy New Year! :)
ReplyDeleteReading this was so much fun, I love hearing about how other cultures ring in the New Year - seems like you folks are busy!
ReplyDeleteIn my house its tradition to try not to fall asleep, eat crappy "picky" food, maybe have a cocktail, possibly fall asleep before watching the ball drop on TV. Wake up, rewind the ball drop, kiss and go to sleep.
I know. very exciting.
Happy New year to you!! I am believer in your #8. Might have to try it.
ReplyDeleteLove the traditions that you have. I love fireworks on New Years Eve, but in NH we don't have them. I am running a race tomorrow so I should PR the whole year. Happy New Year Julie!
ReplyDeletePlease post pics of you jumping up and down in polka dots while eating 12 round fruits!!
ReplyDeleteThanks for enlighting your followers on Filipino New Year's traditions!
happy 2011!
Happy New Year Julie!
ReplyDeleteIt's relatively peaceful here in Cebu! But we still had fireworks, and some of the guys in our neighborhood had "boga".
Damn, I miss the watusi!
Happy New Year!
i will definitely do number mamayang hapon. hehe
ReplyDeletehappy new year Julie!
OK, I am going to jump up and down in polka dots ;)
ReplyDeletehotlegs! happy new year! :) your manager is very proud of you! hehehe :)
ReplyDeletedami mong fans na imported ha! pa share naman! :) hehehe take care! :)
oh, 1 more thing, the last Filipino tradition you wrote is real. because if you run on the first day of the new year, you still might be able to have some firecrackers explode from behind you, making you run a little more faster than your usual pace! haha :)
I love #5! Polka dots are my favorite!
ReplyDeleteInteresting customs! I ate lentils for breakfast this New Years morning, supposed to bring good luck, so we'll see. : ) Wishing you all good things in 2011 Julie!!!
ReplyDeleteJumping up and down might not make you grow taller, but apparently space travel will. My son and I read a book about space this week that said because there is no gravity in space, that people often grow several inches taller. Who knew?!
ReplyDeleteHave you considered space travel?
My boyfriend plays trivia every Monday at a local restaurant.
ReplyDeleteI joined him tonight and one of the questions was: "What do kids in the Philippines do on New Years in hopes of growing taller?" and I KNEW IT because of your blog post!! I was so excited. I rarely contribute anything to our trivia team.
Thanks for the educational post! =)
@Crafty Jogger: woah! that's great!!! =)
ReplyDelete