Celebrating Chinese New Year in the Philippines

_{photo courtesy: crazygraciegirl.blogspot.com}

One of the most awaited festivities here in the Philippines is the Chinese New Year which happens between the month of January and February. This year, it is marked as a special non-working holiday which will be celebrated on the 31st day of January.

For Chinese families here and abroad, annual traditions are being practiced. It is believed that if these traditions are followed, good luck, fortune, wealth and long life will be granted to the family the whole year.

New Year’s Eve Dinner

It is a practice for Chinese Filipinos to have a mini-reunion in this time of the year. According to legends, there was once a mythical creature that comes out during the New year’s eve to harm loved ones and even our morality. It was discovered that bad spirits are afraid of the red color and even loud sounds. This is usually done at the expense of their own homes but some Chinese Filipinos out there spend it on hotels.(This article is brought to you by: Summit Hotels-a luxurious Quezon City Hotel.)

Make it Red

Red is the luckiest color of this event. If you would just keenly observe, on the eve up to the exact date of the Chinese New Year, everyone wears red. Tikoys in red boxes are for sale in every store of China town, lion and dragon dancers are dressed with their combination of red and gold costumes. As for the kids, they are given red envelopes with few peso bills in it. Usually given by adults to the young ones, it said that it eradicates evil spirits from the kids keeping which gives them good health and long life.

Fire Crackers

Aside from the famous Tikoy, firecrackers are always on the Chinese New Year scene. Right after 12 midnight, expect the grandest and loudest firecrackers to be launched. It is their tradition to launch firecrackers during New year because it’s loud sound drives away bad spirits.

House and Cleaning

Cleaning the house during the New Year’s Eve was believed to drive away bad spirits. After cleaning, one should decorate one’s house with red. Usual decorations are red paper cuttings, red paints, etc..

So, that wraps up everything about Chinese New Year traditions in the Philippines. May you have a Happy New Year! Kung Hei Fat Choi!