Traditions: Preparing for the New Year (",)

*Image from Wikipedia*

After Christmas rush, it's now time to prepare for the New Year! And since I worked on Christmas Day, I'm gonna be on a holiday on the first day of the year. Yippeee!!!

But before the celebration, I've got a loooonnngggg list to prepare for New Year's eve. This has been the tradition of my Nanay and ever since we had our own families and living on our own, me and my siblings have adopted her practices. I believe most of these, if not all, came from Chinese tradition and feng shui. I thought I'll share this list with you in case you also want to add it to your New Year tradition. ;)

What should be on the table:

1. Topping the list of course are 12 kinds of round fruits - for prosperity and abundance for the coming year. Although to some it should be 8 or for others, it's 13.

2. According to my Mom, the 13th fruit should be Pineapple. Yung buo ha..not the sliced one or chunks. :p  

 Pineapple fruit on windows and doors: Due to its numerous "eyes", the pineapple symbolizes an eye for successful career and opportunities. (Source: http://www.abs-cbnnews.com/lifestyle/12/30/10/round-fruits-bring-luck-traditions-explained) 

3. Food made from malagkit r glutinous rice. A special kind of rice that is used for rice cakes, suman, biko, and other kakanin. For our Chinese brothers and sisters, they prefer Tikoy. (Note: malagkit is also the tagalog word for sticky.) It's stickiness symbolizes unity and close family ties

4. Eat 12 pieces of grapes at midnight. (One at a time lang, ok? NOT all at once! Wag sabay-sabay at baka mabulunan ka. =p) 

5. Aside from food, we also place water, cotton and a small bowl of cooked rice on the table. Water symbolizes life (i.e. water = source of life) and cotton symbolizes an easy life (light = not heavy). I'm not sure what's the rice for. But my Mom always tells me to eat more rice because it's the food for success. Hehe!

What to wear:

1. We always wear red, polka dot "dusters" at home. =p Polka dots symbolizes money, good luck and prosperity. :)

2. If we don't have any polka dots, we just wear something red for good health. :)

3. AND put lots of money/coins in your pockets. ;) Do I still need to explain why? =P

Other practices:

1. Hang a bunch of grapes on doors and windows for good luck and wealth.

2. Boil mongo beans and make sure it's boiling when the clock strikes 12mn.

3. Light 12 green candles and pray. I don't know what prayer but I guess a simple prayer of gratitude for the past year and guidance for the coming year will do. :)

4. Tie red ribbons (in our case, we use crepe papers) on doors. Red ha?! not yellow! =p

5. Turn ON all lights. Make sure all of your light bulbs at home are working before the New Year. :)

6. Open all doors and windows. For good luck to come into your house.

7. Make NOISE! You don't have to buy or use expensive fireworks. Set the volume close to maximum for TV, radio, use old pots and pans, torotot, whatever, basta  mag-ingay tayo! =))

Whew! I've got such a long list, noh? Of course we do all of these to ward off negative vibes and to attract good luck, good health, prosperity and all the good things for the coming year...sound good, right? hahaha! But no matter what you prepare or do during the New Year, I still think that most importantly you have to be with the one/s you love esp. your family, think good, happy thoughts and spread the LOVE. :) The world could sure use a lot more of it. ;)

Enjoy your preparations and and have a SAFE, happy, healthy and prosperous New Year!! (",)

<3 <3 <3