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

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 to them. During the Media Noche some people shun eating chicken meat 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.

Star Apple (Caimito)

The chrysophyllum  cainito  commonly called caimito or star apple is one of the tropical fruits that were introduced in the Philippines by the Spaniards from its former colonies in Central America during the Spanish colonial era. Today, star apple tree thrives like any other fruit trees that are native to the country. Many of the trees can be seen on the roadside or at the backyards of people’s houses.

When I was little there was a large star apple tree at my family’s old ancestral house which always bore abundant fruits during its fruiting season.  Other kids in the neighborhood could help themselves with the fruits for free. Back then, star apple was a fruit that was usually for the consumption mostly for the kids. Picking up the fruits that were then not commercially sold in the public markets was some of the children’s playful activities especially when they were off from school and not doing their household chores.                                                                                                                                                                      

The Star Apple Tree can grow as high as 25 to 50 feet tall when matured. The ovate-shaped leaf that is about 7.5 to 13 centimeters long is green on top and golden brown on the underside which is probably the reason why it is also called “Golden Leaf Tree”.  The tiny clustered flowers are purplish white. The wood of the tree is not considered hard and is not generally used for furniture or building constructions.      

Although it is not as popular as other fruits in the Philippines, the star apple is delicious, sweet and nutritious. It is round in shape and of the same size as the apple. And despite its name, the star apple is very much different from the real apple in taste and in texture of its skin and flesh. A cross section of the fruit shows a star pattern of its core which is probably the reason why it is called “star apple”. The fruit has a purplish or brownish green skin depending on the variety. The purple variety has a thinner rind than the green. The rind which is rich in latex comprises about 1/3 of the totality of the fruit. The flesh of the fruit has a milk-like juice. It is usually eaten out of hand as a dessert. However, it is better to spoon the flesh off so that parts of the rind which is bitter will not get into the mouth. In the flesh of the fruit are the flat black seeds that are about 1 to 1.5 centimeters long each.  The fruit is rich in calcium, phosphorus, ascorbic acid and niacin and is it is also loaded with antioxidants.                       

In the present age when people are health conscious and prefer to eat organic food, star apple is one of the fruits suitable for their consumption. Its tree is hardy and can grow under extreme tropical weather conditions such as drought and long rainy season. The tree when planted is mostly left alone. It can thrive without the use of chemical fertilizer or pesticides. The fruits when harvested is just sold in the nearby localities because they spoil quickly. For this reason consumers are assured of buying a fresh, organic fruit that is good for the health.

Unlike the highly preferred Philippine table fruits such as bananas, pineapples, mangoes, melons and the expensive fruits such as durian and mangosteen, star apple trees are not yet extensively planted in commercial scale. The reason is that the fruit has a very short shelf life and is not as popular as other fruits.  

As herbal medicine in the Philippines, the decoction of the leaves of the Star Apple Tree is used against diarrhea. In countries of South America the fruit is used to sooth inflammation of the laryngitis and of pneumonia. The leaves and the bark are also used to treat ailments such as diabetes, dysentery and even cancer.

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Watermelon and Its Health Benefits

Watermelon and Its Health Benefits

Watermelon is a member of cucurbitaceae family of plant. It is a short-lived vine that grows on the ground and is closely related to the cantaloupe, pumpkin, cucumber and squash. A ripe watermelon weighs one or more pounds, is spherical or oblong in shape, and has a light green rind that is either striped or spotted. The flesh is colored red with plenty of small black seed embedded in it. The juiciness of the flesh and its sweet taste make it an ideal treat for the hot summer days.

Today, people live in an environment that is more polluted than ever because of excessive use of fossil fuel and irresponsible ways of disposing waste. Chemicals are also used in the production and processing of foods. Those situations along with some people’s unhealthy lifestyle like smoking cigarette and drinking too much alcohol make them prone to suffer cancer, Alzheimer, Parkinson’s , high blood pressure, heart, diabetes and other diseases.                                                       

Above conditions plus over exposure to the sun and aging bring about oxidative damage to the cells of the body caused by free radicals. Free radical is molecule that has at least one unpaired electron and will be on a rampage with other molecules to have that missing electron. On that state there will be chain reaction of molecules and the cells will be damaged. Affected cells mutate and behave abnormally. A person with this condition of cells in his body will get sick and if it is not treated, his health and even his life could be in jeopardy.

Nature has designed the human body in such a way that its immune system can protect itself against attack. However, its immune system is weakened with age and other factors. Fortunately, the foods that it consumes aside from giving it necessary nutrients have also properties that help protect it from infections and diseases.

Fruits and vegetables have antioxidant properties that can prevent damage to the cells because of oxidations and it also help cure the cells that are already damaged by free radicals. Anti oxidants are free radical scavengers. They also enhance the body’s immune system.

Watermelon is a fruit rich in antioxidants which are vitamins A and C, beta carotene and lycopene. The pigments of the lycopene in the flesh of the watermelon make its color red. Water melon is 91% water and the remaining 8% is loaded with lycopene.                                                                                       

Following are the health benefits of watermelon:

• ·         It is good for the heart. It contains the amino-acid celluline which through certain enzymes is converted into arginine. Arginine is a precursor of nitric acid which rids the lining of the blood vessels of stuck cholesterol that is oxidized by free radicals. This improves blood flow thus normalizing blood pressure and benefiting the heart. Moreover, water melon is rich in potassium which is also good for the heart.     
• ·         It may enhance libido. The improve blood circulation resulting from intake of watermelon means that blood will also have smooth flow in the veins of the male genitals thus preventing erectile dysfunction. 
• ·         It is a remedy for diabetes. Arginine has been shown to improve insulin sensitivity in obese type 2 diabetic person with insulin resistance.
• ·         It helps prevent cancer.  Vitamins, A and C in watermelon are antioxidants and so are beta carotene and lycopene. Vitamins C and beta carotene reduce the risk of colon cancer. And lycopene is a carotenoid that reduces the risk of prostate, breast, endometrial, lung and colorectal cancers. 
• ·        It reduces macular degeneration. Water melon is rich in vitamin A that is good for the health of the eyes. Consumption of watermelon help reduce the risk of vision loss as a result of aging.
• ·         It reduces inflammation in osteoarthritis and rheumatoid arthritis. Watermelon is rich in vitamin C and beta carotene, antioxidants that can help reduce swelling of the body joints during the onset of those diseases.  
• ·         It relaxes the airway during asthma attack. The vitamin C and beta carotene of watermelon help reduce the swelling of the airways and improve the condition of a person having asthma.
• ·         It boosts energy production. Watermelon contains vitamin B6 as well as magnesium and potassium. These vitamin and minerals are necessary to refresh the body after strenuous activities.

It would be more effective and enjoyable to eat variations of fruits, vegetables and other foods in order to maximize the health and healing properties of watermelon. For example, the benefits of watermelon could be enhanced if the person also drinks green tea, a beverage that is also rich in anti-oxidant called flavanoids.  The key to good health is a balanced diet, exercise, sleep and recreation. Moderation should be observed in eating and other activities because excesses will do more harm than good. With its health benefits, watermelon should be a part of our diet in fruits.

Nutrient Data for Raw Watermelon per 100 grams

Nutrient		Value	Unit
Proximates
Water		91.45	g
Energy		30	Kcal
Protein		0.47	g
Total lipid (fat)		0.61	g
Carbohydrates, by difference		7.55	g
Fiber, total dietary		0.4	g
Sugar, total		6.2	g
Minerals
Calcium, Ca		7	mg
Iron, Fe		0.24	mg
Magnesium, Mg		10	mg
Phosphorus, P		11	mg
Potassium, K		112	mg
Sodium, Na		1	mg
Zinc, Zn		0.1	mg
Vitamins
Vitamin C		8.1	mg
Thiamin		0.033	mg
Riboflavin		0.021	mg
Niacin		0.178	mg
Vitamin B-6		0.045	mg
Folate, DFE		3	mcg_DFE
Vitamin A, RAE		28	mcg_RAE
Vitamin A, IU		569	IU
Vitamin E (alpha-tocopherol)		0.05	mg
Vitamin K (phylloquinone)		0.1	µg
Lipids
Fatty acids, total saturated		0.016	g
Fatty acids, total monounsaturated		0.037	g
Fatty acids, total polyunsaturated		0.05	g

Source: USDA National Nutrient Database for Standard Reference

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