New Year’s Eve invites a number of traditions in the Philippines, both food-related and non-edible. All of the traditions are meant to invite good luck and prosperity. Here are your top 10 Filipino Superstitions to look out and follow for this New Year’s Eve with your loved ones.
1. At exactly midnight, Filipinos believe that jumping would make them taller in the incoming year. This is practiced by children rather than adults. Some Filipinos are even specific about the number of jumps: 12 jumps to be exact.
2. Filipinos also believe that by making a lot of noise as soon as the clock strikes midnight, evil spirits are driven away, giving them a peaceful start in the year. We usually buy “torotot“, a small horn made of plastic and bamboo. Teens enjoy making noise with recrackers, while other families keep safe by using pots and pans to make noise.
3. Pancit is a dish often served in different occasions like birthdays and fiestas. On New Year’s eve, Filipinos believe that by eating this particular dish, you will have a longer, healthier life. The dish is made from very long noodles, which gives the meaning of the longevity of their lives.
4. Wearing polka-dotted clothes on New Year is a common practice among Filipinos. They believe that wearing these kinds of clothes will rake-in good fortune.
5. Filipinos believe that having money in your pockets before the clock strikes twelve on the last day of the year will make money abundant in the coming year. Some families even encourage children to make noise with their piggy banks for additional luck with money.
6. on New Year’s Day itself, Filipinos believe that sweeping the floor could “sweep away” all the good fortune. So, in some families, cleaning during New Year’s is avoided so as to keep luck within the home.
7. On New Year’s eve, people in the Philippines practice having 12 different “round” fruits on the table. There are some Filipinos who put 13 different round fruits on the table, while most believe 12 should be enough. The round shape represents continuity. It is said that the 12 fruits symbolize the 12 months of the incoming year to be “fruitful”. Filipinos are continuing this New Year tradition, which is said to ensure good luck. However, some consumers say this has become a costly practice.
8. Aside from keeping money close to your body, Filipinos also believe that opening all doors and windows rake good luck in. Specifically, Filipinos believe that opening all the doors and windows attract luck involving money.
9. Unlike New Year’s day itself, on New Year’s eve, it is practiced to clean the house thoroughly. The dirt in the house represents all the bad luck and evil that has been in the house during the previous year. Cleaning the house before the year starts represents a clean slate on the incoming year.
10. Turning all the lights inside your house is another common practice by Filipino families. With this, they believe that the coming year would be as bright as their homes on New Year’s day.
