New Year Celebration in the Philippines

Although New Year is a distinct occasion, most Filipinos consider its celebration as a part of observing the long Christmas season. The New Year’s Eve is a moment when people welcome the arrival of another year as the clock strikes at midnight. New Year is supposed to be merrier than Christmas because it is more of a secular occasion. Christmas has a religious significance because the day is identified with the birth of Christ while New Year is a day to start another Gregorian calendar year. Despite the fact that Filipinos put more meaning on Christmas than the New Year, both occasions are given grandiose celebrations.

New Year's Eve is also an occasion for gift giving

Above pictures are favorite foods on New Year's Eve

beer, a favorite New Year's Eve drink

Like Christmas, fiesta, wedding, birthday and other occasions, New Year Eve is the time when members of the family, relatives and friends gather to be with the company of each other. Parties and parlor games are held, music is played for a dance or a listening, videoke or guitar or in some cases a band accompanies a song, gifts are exchanged and foods are served to people. The extent and quality of foods available and activities done are determined by the financial status or capability of a family. People who are more religious attend a mass before waiting for the arrival of the New Year.                                                                                                                    

The many activities that people are doing keep them up all through the night. As a result, they sleep late in the following morning, the New Year’s Day which is an official public holiday. In contrast to the lively atmosphere that characterized the celebration of the previous evening, the following day is usually almost devoid of people’s activities. People are in their home resting or sleeping. Government offices and private shops and businesses are closed. And many vehicles are off the street resulting in a significantly lighter traffic.

round shaped fruits on the table

Some superstitious practices that are probably of Chinese origins and not rooted on Christian belief influence the observance and welcoming of the New Year. Said practices are believed to bring forth good luck and ward off bad luck and evil spirits. Although many people do not subscribe to the ideas, other people observe the practice anyway for the sake of social tradition. Making loud sounds, putting 12 kinds of round fruits on the table, wearing polka dot dress, and spreading coins around the house are said to bring in good luck. Jumping 12 times on New Year’s Eve is said to make children become taller. When the New Year’s noise has died down, the sound of an animal that is heard first is a sign of a good or a bad fortune. A crow of a roster or a bark of a dog is a bad sign while the moo of a cow or a water buffalo or a bleat of a goat is a good sign for the coming year. Those are some of the many Filipino superstitious beliefs that are related to the celebration of New Year.

fireworks display

It is the practice of the Filipinos to make loud sound when the clock strikes midnight to bring in good luck and drive away evil spirits. People make noise by blowing horns, blowing the horns of cars, playing music loud, and banging cans and kitchen utensils among other actions. But the most popular and effective way of making noise is the use of firecrackers and fireworks. In relation to it, some people, before the New Year’s Eve, set aside money to buy those stuffs. The varied explosions, shapes, light colors, sparks and smokes caused by the exploding fireworks in the ground or in the sky are for some people a brilliant spectacle in the night sky. But for other people including the animals the burst of explosives can scare them out of their wits. There is inherent risk in exploding fireworks because people might get injured or properties might be burned. For this reason, the sale and use of fireworks and firecracker are strictly regulated or in some instances discouraged by the government.

The western influenced making of resolutions for the New Year is a practice that is adapted by the Filipinos. People hope to change their character or behavior for a better life in the coming year. Some put their resolutions into writings while others just commit them to their memory. And still other people do not make New Year’s resolutions at all, because for them, if there is something to be changed or corrected, they should do it right there and then without waiting for the year end to come to do it.

Happy New Year!

Some Facts on Joyful Christmas

Christmas is the merriest season of the year. However, people differed in their views about Christmas and some of the practices related to it. Some people accept Christmas as part of their religious or social traditions. Others do not celebrate it at all because of their religious or other beliefs. But the fact is that Christmas is an occasion that is widely celebrated all over the world and has affected the lives of many people in some ways. Christmas is just around the corner. And it is worthwhile to make this year’s celebration as joyous and memorable as ever. We could start entertaining ourselves in connection with the celebration of Christmas with a small discussion of some facts that follow:

December 25 as Christmas Day. Although December 25 is the day that is traditionally celebrated as Christmas, the Bible did not specify the exact date of Jesus’ birth. And religious scholars have not established the date of his birth either. A clue to the question is the book of Luke 2:8-14 which stated that during Jesus’ birth the shepherds were watching their flocks at night. Considering that it is usually a winter season in Palestine in December, Biblical scholars contend that Jesus could not have been born during that month because shepherds most probably would not go to their field in a wintry evening. It is said that early Christians did not celebrate the birth of Jesus. It was also said that pagans celebrate their festivity called Saturnalia during the winter solstice which may occur from December 21-22 to honor the sun god. At about 440 A.D. Christian converted Roman officials made December 25 as the date of Jesus’ birth to make Christianity acceptable to the pagans.

Adoration by El Greco

The three kings. It was never mentioned in the Bible that there were three kings who visited the infant Jesus to pay homage to him. It was mentioned that he was given gifts of gold, frankincense and myrrh by the magi from the east. Although there were only three gifts that were presented to Jesus, the givers who were called magi might be a group of people composing more than three persons.

The date of Christmas of Eastern Orthodox Churches. Some Eastern Christian Orthodox Churches celebrate their Christmas on January 7 rather than on December 25. The reason of it is that most Christian Orthodox Churches especially the Russian and Serbian use the old Julian calendar instead of the Gregorian calendar.

Not all Christians celebrate Christmas. Jehovah’s witnesses, a Christian denomination do not celebrate Christmas. They consider Christmas as pagan in origin and therefore not a Christian holiday. They also believe that Jesus Christ and some known Biblical personalities did not celebrate birthdays. And that Biblical accounts related to birthdays were mostly associated with unpleasant events.

 “Happy Holidays” Greetings. Generally, people associate Christmas with the Christian religion. But some people are non-Christians, others do not profess to belong to any religious group while still others do not celebrate Christmas at all. Greeting them with “Merry Christmas” is some sort distasteful to them.  “Happy Holidays” rather than “Merry Christmas!” is a more acceptable way of greeting them during the celebration.  Those people also prefer to call the occasion “the holidays” instead of Christmas.

The longest Christmas celebration in the world. The Philippines is a country with the longest Christmas celebration. The merriment starts as early as late September with the playing of Christmas carols over the radio and some business establishments, and ends at the feast day of Epiphany on January 6. The official celebration however starts at the ”Misa de Gallo” or the evening mass that starts on December 16 and culminates in the Christmas  Eve. The New Year and the Epiphany are considered by many Filipinos as part of their Christmas celebration.

Christmas tree. Christmas tree has its origin in the pagan traditions of having tree as decoration during the winter festivity. The evergreen boughs, mistletoe and holy were regarded as the hope for life in the wintertime when trees had no leaves. Early Christians prohibited the tradition because of its pagan origin. The Germans however revived the tradition in the 16^th century by using tree as a decoration during the festivity of “The Feast of Adam and Eve” which was celebrated on December 24. The German brought the Christmas tree tradition in the 17^th century to the United States.  The Americans in turn spread the use of Christmas tree as decoration throughout the world.

White Christmas. The song “White Christmas” was the best-selling Christmas single of all time. It has sold more than 50 million copies. The song was composed by Irving Berlin and popularized by Bing Crosby at Decca Records which released it in 1942.

Santa Claus. The figure of a red- suited Santa that is chubby, bearded and round bellied who is on a sleigh drawn by reindeers  was taken from the poem  “A Visit to Saint Nicholas” which is better known today as “The Night before Christmas“. The poem was attributed to Clement Clarke Moore. One of the first artist to define Santa’s modern image was Thomas Nast an American cartoonist of the 19^th century who made a picture of Santa in the “Harper’s Weekly” in 1863.

Related posts:

Parol, a Traditional Philippine Christmas Decoration https://lapasan-myblognoel145.blogspot.com/2014/12/parol-traditional-philippine-christmas.html

The 13 Round Fruits and Other New Year’s Eve Customs in the Philippines https://lapasan-myblognoel145.blogspot.com/2013/12/the-13-round-fruits-and-other-new-years.html

Santa Claus, a Figure Blended from Different Christmas Traditions https://lapasan-myblognoel145.blogspot.com/2014/12/santa-claus-figure-blended-from.html

Christmas, a Season to Celebrate the Fulfillment of God’s Promise https://lapasan-myblognoel145.blogspot.com/2014/11/christmas-season-to-celebrate.html

Santa Claus, a Figure Blended from Different Christmas Traditions

One of the most visible figures during the Christmas season is Santa Claus. During the holiday commercial establishments have personnel dressed up as Santa to enliven the spirit of the season and to help heighten business activities. In the west and in other regions of the world Santa is generally depicted as jolly, fat, white-bearded old man with red suits. He is also depicted as always on sleigh pulled by reindeers as he comes to homes via the chimney to deliver toys to the children.

It is said that the real Santa was the Greek bishop Nicholas of Myra who was born in third century in the village of Patara, now a part of the southern coast of Turkey. Nicholas, an only son, was raised in a rich family. At a young age his parents died because of an epidemic and he inherited their wealth. As a devoted Christian, Nicholas lived his life in accordance with the teachings of Christ. One of them was to share his material possessions to the poor. His love of the children, his generosity to the poor, and his help to the sick made him a true follower of Christ. He became a bishop at a very young age. During the reign of Roman Emperor Diocletian the Christians were persecuted and their religious leaders were imprisoned. One of them was Bishop Nicholas of Myra. The situation of the Christians changed for the better when the Roman Emperor Constantine the Great converted to Christianity. During his reign he gave the Christians freedom to exercise their religion. This development enabled Christianity to spread like wildfire throughout the ancient Roman Empire. However, the Christians were deeply divided on their doctrine so that in 325 AD Constantine had to call the bishops for a council in Nicea to discuss on the issue. Nicholas was one of the bishops in the attendance list.

Nicholas died on December 6, 343 AD. His person and his good deeds were widely known throughout Christendom so that he was made as patron saint of people of different walks of life in many places, and many churches were named after him. Stories on his deeds abound. One of the most popular stories was on the three poor girls whom he saved from slavery. It was said that their father could not afford a dowry for their would-be husbands. During the time it was the father’s obligation to provide for the dowry so that he could get ideal husband for his daughter or else she would consign her life to being a slave. Out of nowhere, a sack with three gold bars was left in the house of the girls and their father was able to solve their problem. The sack of gold was attributed to Saint Nicholas who was said to have thrown it through the window and landed right in a wet stocking which was left hanging by the fire.

The Vikings who were sea-faring people made St. Nicholas as one their patron saints. They helped spread the saint’s stories to the lands that they went to such as Germany and Netherlands. The Dutch settlers in America started the tradition of associating Christmas with St. Nicholas whom they called “Sinter Klaas”. Overtime that name has evolved into what is now Santa Claus.

To counter the commercialized tradition of Saint Nicholas day which was on December 6, and to divert the focus of reverence to Christ rather than on Saint Nicholas on Christmas, Martin Luther came up with Kris Kringle. In that concept the giver of gifts to children is the child Christ who does it when they are asleep. And because of that situation they never know who the giver of the gift is.

Father Christmas who was also called “Old Man Winter” was a figure related to a traditional pagan celebration of the winter solstice that is assimilated to Christmas. He traveled from home to home and was given foods and drinks by the people.  In return Father Christmas granted them blessings of a moderate winter.

The tradition on Santa Claus is a blend of religion, historical facts, myths and legends so that most people consider Santa Claus, Kris Kringle and Father Christmas as one and the same person. From the historical Saint Nicholas people derived the tradition of putting in toys in the stockings which are by the fire. From the Kris Kringle is the tradition of giving gifts to children when they are asleep so that they don’t know who the giver is. And from “Old Man Winter” is the legend that Santa Claus travels from house to house. In the Middle Ages St. Nicholas was typically depicted as a tall, thin and bearded Cleric. The fat and white bearded appearance of Santa Claus as he is depicted today is generally traced to a 19^th century poem entitled “’Twas the Night before Christmas”.

Related posts:

Parol, a Traditional Philippine Christmas Decoration https://lapasan-myblognoel145.blogspot.com/2014/12/parol-traditional-philippine-christmas.html

The 13 Round Fruits and Other New Year’s Eve Customs in the Philippines https://lapasan-myblognoel145.blogspot.com/2013/12/the-13-round-fruits-and-other-new-years.html

Some Facts on Joyful Christmas https://lapasan-myblognoel145.blogspot.com/2014/12/some-facts-on-joyful-christmas.html

Christmas, a Season to Celebrate the Fulfillment of God’s Promise https://lapasan-myblognoel145.blogspot.com/2014/11/christmas-season-to-celebrate.html

Parol, a Traditional Philippine Christmas Decoration

Updated October 11, 2025

In the Philippines people adorn their homes with a replica of manger where the infant Jesus was born in Bethlehem, with Christmas tree, with the "parol" or the Philippine Christmas lantern and with other adornments. The parol, especially in the rural area, is a traditional Christmas decoration of Filipino homes. The name parol is derived from the Spanish word “farol” which means lantern or lamp.  

                                                                 

A parol , as its name suggests, is a Christmas lantern that is made in divergent sizes, shapes and colors. It is commonly star shaped although there are lanterns which are shaped as box, bells or others depending on the ingenuity of the makers. Most lanterns which are star-shaped are five-pointed star although there are others that are four-pointed stars. The star shape is inspired with the bright star that guided the three magi in their search for the Infant Jesus. Although a  parol is called a lantern, many are designed and made without light in them. Most of the lanterns are not designed to be carried outdoors but rather they are used to adorn the exterior of the house. Most lighting is Christmas lamps that are attached to the body of the lantern.  Usually, the lantern’s framework is made of thin bamboo strips which are joined and bound with string.  Some designs have ring around the star and tails at the bottom while others have none. The framework is covered with crepe paper that is attached by pasting it on the bamboo strip. Other types of decorative papers are also used. The allure of the finished product depends on the design of the lantern and the paper cutting skill of the maker.  Elaborate paper cutting designs on the body of the star, the ring and tail as well as the attractiveness of the lighting can make a lantern stand out from other lanterns.  

 

                  

Some poorer Filipino Families can earn additional income during the Christmas season by making parols. September starts the beginning of the month when they make use of their craft in Christmas lantern making. The parol is priced as low as 50 pesos (about 1 US dollars) for the smallest and the simplest, and as high as 3,000 pesos (about 58 US dollars) for the biggest with the most elegant design and lighting.

It was a common practice in the past to hold a parol show competition especially in public elementary schools or in a village just prior to Christmas break. But in the present such contest is already scarce due perhaps to the changing preferences of people in the modern times. Participants in the contest can make a parol of any design or shape that symbolizes the spirit of the Christmas season. The contest may just be a part of of a Christmas program or a single activity exclusively dedicated for that purpose. Such practice adds to the excitement and joy of the Christmas celebration. 

Related posts:

The 13 Round Fruits and Other New Year’s Eve Customs in the Philippines https://lapasan-myblognoel145.blogspot.com/2013/12/the-13-round-fruits-and-other-new-years.html

 Some Facts on Joyful Christmas https://lapasan-myblognoel145.blogspot.com/2014/12/some-facts-on-joyful-christmas.html

Santa Claus, a Figure Blended from Different Christmas Traditions https://lapasan-myblognoel145.blogspot.com/2014/12/santa-claus-figure-blended-from.html

Christmas, a Season to Celebrate the Fulfillment of God’s Promise https://lapasan-myblognoel145.blogspot.com/2014/11/christmas-season-to-celebrate.html

Christmas: a Season to Celebrate the Fulfillment of God's Promise

Photo by Dnalor_01 from Wikimedia Commons                 

All over the world Christmas is the most popular occasion of the year. Some Christians consider it a religious celebration while others shun it believing that it is replete with practices that are deemed to be pagan in origin. The popularity of Christmas has made it not only a religious but also a cultural tradition so that even non-Christians are influenced or affected with the merriment that goes with the celebration of that holiday.

To many people Christmas is celebrated to commemorate the birth of Jesus Christ who they believe is God’s promised Messiah. Indeed there are over 360 prophecies in the Old Testament on the Messiah.  And Biblical scholars believe that only the circumstances surrounding Jesus’ life could be related to many of them.  Jesus Christ was born during the reign of Roman Emperor Augustus Caesar or about 700 years after the prophecies were made.  

Isaiah’s Prophecy

One of the most notable prophecies about the Messiah was by Isaiah at around 712 B.C. Chapter 9, verse 6 in the Old Testament says, “For unto us a child is born, unto us a Son is given; and the government will be upon His shoulder. And His name will be called Wonderful, Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, and Prince of Peace.”

A birth by a virgin

Mankind inherited the sin committed by God’s original creations Adam and Eve who disobeyed Him in the Garden of Eden. God had to send His Son to the world to redeem mankind, and chose a virgin to beget His only Son. Isaiah 7:14 says, “Therefore the Lord Himself will give you a sign: behold, the virgin shall conceive and bear a Son, and call His name Immanuel.” This prophecy was fulfilled in Luke1:34-35 “Then Mary said to the angel, ‘How can this be, since I do not know a man?’And the angel answered and said to her, ‘The Holy Spirit will come upon you, and the power of the Highest will overshadow you; therefore, also, that Holy One who is to be born will be called the Son of God.’” The word “Immanuel” means God is with us. Man cannot reach God, but God came in the flesh to this world through his Son Jesus.

God has a Son    

                                                                                            

The Old Testament itself stated that God has a Son: Proverbs 30:4 (about 700 BC) says, “Who has ascended into heaven, or descended? Who has gathered the wind in His fists? Who has bound the waters in a garment? Who has established all ends of the earth? What is His name, and what is His Son’s name, if you know?”

Born in Bethlehem

The Old Testament also made mention of the place where mankind’s savior would be born.  Micah 5:2 (about 710 B.C.) says, “But you, Bethlehem Ephrata, though you are little among the thousands of Judah, yet out of you shall come forth to Me the One to be Ruler of Israel, whose goings forth are from old, from everlasting.” This prophecy is fulfilled in Luke 2:4-6 which says, “Joseph also went up from Galilee, out of the city of Nazareth, into Judea, to the city of David, which is called Bethlehem, because he was of the house and lineage of David, to be registered with Mary, his betrothed wife who was with a child. So it was that while they were there, the days were completed for her to be delivered.”

Confusion on the nature of Christ

Since the early Christian era the nature of Christ has been the cause of confusion and division among Christians and non-Christian who deny the Divinity of Christ. Roman Catholics believe that there is only one God in three persons- the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit. Non-Christians and even some Christian religious group question this concept of a monotheistic God. But adherents of trinity believe that trinity is one of the great mysteries of God as far as the Catholic and other Christian faith are concerned. Indeed, in Isaiah 9:6 the “Mighty God” is one of the names of the Messiah. Jesus himself said in John 10:30 “I and My Father are one.”

The greatest moral example of mankind

Jesus is one of the historical and religious figures that set good moral examples for mankind to follow. He was chaste and lived a sinless life. He helped the poor and healed the sick. He told his followers to love God and to love not only their neighbors but also their enemy. He also defied traditions that were unreasonable and even barbaric but were socially acceptable during His time. A case in point was the adulterous woman who was to be stoned to death. Jesus told her accusers to cast the first stone if they themselves had never sinned at all. There are many other good deeds by Jesus which are worth emulating. Love is one of Jesus’ central themes during his ministry. Laws and cultures of some western countries are founded in Judeo-Christian traditions and many of them are inspired by the teachings and examples set by Jesus.

God loves us

There are controversies regarding the month Christ was born. In most parts of the world Christmas is usually celebrated in December. Some biblical scholars say that December is not a likely month for Jesus’ birth because the Bible says that at that time shepherds were out in the field at night watching their flock. They probably would not do it in a harsh winter month. Jesus may have been born in months other than December. But should the month of celebration of Christmas really matter? The most important thing for us is to be grateful of God’s fulfillment of his promise which he did because of His love for us. John 3:16 says, “For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life.”

Related posts:

Parol, a Traditional Philippine Christmas Decoration https://lapasan-myblognoel145.blogspot.com/2014/12/parol-traditional-philippine-christmas.html

The 13 Round Fruits and Other New Year’s Eve Customs in the Philippines https://lapasan-myblognoel145.blogspot.com/2013/12/the-13-round-fruits-and-other-new-years.html

Some Facts on Joyful Christmas https://lapasan-myblognoel145.blogspot.com/2014/12/some-facts-on-joyful-christmas.html

Santa Claus, a Figure Blended from Different Christmas Traditions https://lapasan-myblognoel145.blogspot.com/2014/12/santa-claus-figure-blended-from.html

The 13 Round Fruits and Other New Year's Eve Customs in the Philippines

Updated December 28, 2025

The New Year is part of the Christmas season in the Philippines. It is one of the joyous and most celebrated occasions by Filipinos. Most of the traditions of Christmas and New Year are western influenced particularly Spanish and American. Over the years the Christmas and New Year traditions and customs have been infused with indigenous and Chinese practices, beliefs and superstitions. 

With the coming of New Year it has become a practice of many Filipinos to buy 13 different kinds of round and sweet fruits for display on the table on New Year’s Eve. The fruits that are easily available are apples, oranges, grapes, pears and native fruits such as melons, guavas, lanzones, rambutans, and chicos among others. Most people dread the number 13 so that they prefer to display 12 fruits instead of 13 to represent the 12 calendar months of the year. Some people who adhere to the practice believe that the display of various round shaped fruits on the table would usher in good fortune for the coming year and ward off bad luck.

Unlike Christmas, New Year is a secular occasion so that more or most people celebrate it than Christmas. However, this is not to say that the New Year’s Eve dinner or Media Noche is more grandiose than Christmas Eve dinner or Noche Buena because for most Filipinos the latter is the more significant celebration. During the Media Noche it is desirable to have pancit on the table because the flour stick noodle symbolize long life while eating chicken meat is shunned because it represents scarcity. The fowl scratches the soil to search for food.

Since it is believed that circles or circular patterns attract money, some people wear red polka dot clothes on New Year’s Eve. Coins are also believed to bring in good fortune, and for this reason some people throw about coin to increase their wealth in the coming year. It is also the practice of some short people to jump on New Year’s Eve to increase their height. 

It is believed that loud sounds drive away evil spirits, and because of it people make it a practice to create noise on Christmas Eve. Children’s plastic horns and vehicles horns are blown, pots and pans are banged, and music is played loud to welcome the arrival of New Year. And the most eminent of all are the fireworks displays. In this recent time, the occasion seems not complete without the sound and sight of the awesome and colorful lights from the fireworks as they are detonated and catapulted to the night sky.

Most of the practices on New Year’s Eve are not in any way related to people’s religious beliefs. Some Filipinos do them because of superstitions. Others do them because they are part of their social traditions. Still others just ignore the traditions at all.

Related posts:

Parol, a Traditional Philippine Christmas Decoration https://lapasan-myblognoel145.blogspot.com/2014/12/parol-traditional-philippine-christmas.html

Some Facts on Joyful Christmas https://lapasan-myblognoel145.blogspot.com/2014/12/some-facts-on-joyful-christmas.html

Santa Claus, a Figure Blended from Different Christmas Traditions https://lapasan-myblognoel145.blogspot.com/2014/12/santa-claus-figure-blended-from.html

Christmas, a Season to Celebrate the Fulfillment of God’s Promise https://lapasan-myblognoel145.blogspot.com/2014/11/christmas-season-to-celebrate.html