Understanding Superstitions and Filipino New Year Traditions

Vibrant fireworks, large amounts of food, and karaoke. Leave it to the Filipinos to throw a New Year’s Eve party, right? But behind the grand celebration are superstitions stemming from Indigenous, Spanish, Chinese, and Western influences.

​​If you’re dating a Filipino woman, familiarize yourself with these practices and their purpose. You aren’t just there to accompany her, but to socialize and make a good impression on her family and friends.

​​That said, here are some common beliefs and their corresponding Filipino New Year traditions.

Why Are Filipino New Year Traditions Based on Superstitions?

The Philippines is a predominantly Christian nation. Yet, ironically, many Filipinos believe in superstition. And you can’t blame them.

Many Filipino superstitious beliefs about the New Year relate to things they consider important, including relationships, health, and prosperity. While locals acknowledge they don’t really have much impact, there’s no harm in doing them “just in case” or because “everyone else is doing it.” We all want to have some control over our lives or feel like we belong.

How Do Filipinos Celebrate New Year’s?

This section details three superstitions and how Filipinos integrate them into their New Year’s Eve party.

Attracting Luck

In the late 19th century, Chinese immigrants came to the country. With their influence, Filipinos adopted practices such as Feng Shui to attract luck in their households and businesses. This resulted in the following New Year traditions:

• Scattering Coins Around the House: Before midnight, Filipinos scatter coins around the house, including every corner and every table. Sometimes, when the clock strikes 12, kids are even tasked with throwing coins up in the air. Filipinos believe that greeting the new year with this grand gesture will bring them good luck and fortune.

• Wearing Red Polka Dots: Just to be clear: the Chinese don’t usually wear polka dots on New Year’s. But they do wear red because they believe it’s the luckiest color. Filipinos took that and created their own twist to the dress code. They wear red, polka-dot outfits, with the circular patterns representing coins. The more dots your outfit has, the wealthier you’ll be in the new year.

• Creating a Filipino Prosperity Bowl: Families often set up a prosperity bowl as the centerpiece of the dinner table. They place 12 round fruits in the middle, representing each month of the year. Then, they surround it with luck-symbolic items, such as paper money, rice, eggs, and bay leaves.

Eating a Feast

The hallmark of any Filipino celebration is food. Even if families don’t have much, they go all-in to ensure that every guest leaves with a full stomach. They believe that doing the following New Year traditions will bring an abundance of blessings in the following months:

• Serving Media Noche: If you encounter a modest amount of food on the table, it likely means you have stumbled on the wrong household. Filipinos prepare a lavish feast for New Year’s Eve called Media Noche (since it’s eaten at midnight). It usually consists of 10 or more dishes, such as lechon, pancit, and glutinous rice cakes. Others opt for Western dishes like ham, pies, and pasta, or follow the Chinese menu with items like dumplings, dim sum, and duck.

• Eating Pancit for Long Life: Speaking of pancit, it’s an umbrella term for any Filipino noodle dish, and it’s customary to eat it during the New Year. Influenced by the Chinese tradition, pancit symbolizes long life because the length of the noodles is thought to represent the duration of one's time on earth. For this reason, the noodles should never be cut before cooking or serving. If you’re dating a Filipino woman, having a hefty serving of pancit may bless your relationship with longevity.

Making Noise/Partying

During the New Year, this act isn’t a nuisance. In fact, many locals and foreigners consider this the highlight of the celebration. Partly, Filipinos do this to share their happiness and excitement. But the real purpose of making noise/partying is to drive away evil spirits. Once the clock strikes 12, everyone loudly greets the New Year by doing the following:

• Blowing the Torotot: Filipinos use whatever household items they have to make noise. Pots and pans—you name it. But their main instrument is the torotot, a toy horn/trumpet. You’ll see these being sold on the street in various sizes and colors.

• Fireworks: This is one of the grandest Filipino New Year traditions. Even other countries recognize the Philippines for its fireworks displays. But depending on your location, you may or may not experience an all-night frenzy of these vibrant-colored lights. Some cities ban locals from purchasing fireworks for safety reasons. Certain establishments, however, hold their displays. Even if you can’t set one off on your own, you’ll still see them light up the sky.

The Heart of All Filipino New Year Traditions

This article only covers some common superstitions and Filipino New Year traditions. There are still more, some of which are specific to certain cities or families. Regardless, at the heart of it all are relationships. These traditions bind people together, whether it’s families, lovers, or friends.

That said, if you plan on celebrating New Year’s with your Filipino woman’s family, try to adopt their practices and blend in. You’ll have fun, and they’ll accept you as part of their home in no time.

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