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8 Things to Expect in Metro Manila This Chinese New Year
The Chinese community welcomes the New Year with time-tested traditions.
By: Patricia Marie Prado | January 01, 2021
For many Filipinos, Chinese New Year is simply an additional holiday in the calendar. But aside from the extra rest day and the overflow of tikoy (sweet rice cake) during this time of the year, Chinese New Year is not just any ordinary day for our Chinese brothers and sisters.
If you’ve always been curious about this Chinese festivity or want to learn more about their colorful culture and fascinating traditions, read on as we present the things you can expect to see this Chinese New Year.
1. Dragon and Lion Dances
The Chinese believe that the longer the dragon, the more luck it will bring!
Image: Jaime Tan Ventura Jr.
The tradition that always steals the show every Chinese New Year is the Dragon and Lion Dance. Always accompanied by the loud banging of cymbals and huge drums, expect to see dragon and lion dances as they are believed to ward off evil spirits and invite good luck. Binondo, which is known as Metro Manila’s Chinatown, is where you might easily find dragon and lion dances.
Both creatures are believed to be auspicious, but lion figures are usually shorter than dragon figures. The latter is longer as it is believed that the longer the creature, the more luck it will bring. Moreover, the dragon, which represents imperial authority, is believed to possess great power and dignity.
2. Ang Pao
For the Chinese, giving ang pao is not just to financially bless the young but to wish them luck and long life as well.
Image: Kristine Joyce Rodriguez
Unbeknownst to many Filipinos who practice the tradition of giving red envelopes with money every Christmas, the red packet is actually called ang pao (Hokkien) and not ampao. The ang pao signifies good luck and brings protection from evil spirits and is also a way to wish the receiver long life. Expect these red packets to be given by older and married people to children and unmarried adults this Chinese New Year.
Amounts given are also of equal importance. The amount should always end on an even number—except the number four, which sounds like “death” in Chinese—as it brings good luck. Amounts ending in odd numbers are given only for funerals.
3. Fireworks and firecrackers
Expect spectacular fireworks and loud firecrackers this coming Chinese New Year.
Another exciting part of welcoming the Chinese New Year is the colorful fireworks and loud firecrackers. The Chinese believe that the Chinese New Year started when an evil spirit called Nian used to visit a village every year to terrorize its residents and eat the children. The villagers realized that Nian was afraid of the color red and loud noises so they began lighting up firecrackers or bamboo with red covers every year whenever he visits to fend him off.
Today, both firecrackers and fireworks are still present when welcoming Chinese New Year with the belief that it will drive away evil spirits and to add festivities as well on the special event.
4. Staying Up Late
Staying up late for Chinese New Year is also an important part of the Chinese tradition.
Image: Su Yin
Just like a regular New Year celebration, the Chinese also to stay up late during their New Year in a custom called shou sui, which literally means “to keep watch over the year.”
5. Decorations
There’s a reason why gold and red colors abound every Chinese New Year.
This coming Chinese New Year, also expect the houses and businesses of our Chinese brothers and sisters to be heavily decorated with the colors red and gold. Red is believed to signify happiness and vitality of life, while gold is believed to represent prosperity and wealth.
One of the popular decorations you’ll see during Chinese New Year includes the upside down fu. The character for fu means “good luck,” and turning it upside down makes it look like the character for the word “arrive;” and displaying it on one’s house signifies that you’re inviting good luck to arrive.
6. Tikoy
These sticky snacks mean something more for our Chinese brothers and sisters.
Images: Left, Jonathan Bugarin; Right, Eng Bee Tin
One of the things that not only the Chinese but even Filipinos look forward to every Chinese New Year is the abundance of tikoy. Made from pounded glutinous rice, tikoy is derived from the Fookien word ti ke or sweet cake.
Aside from being a yummy snack, today tikoy is given during Chinese New Year as it signifies more prosperity, money, and long-lasting relationships. The Mandarin word for tikoy, nian gao, also sounds like “higher year,” and giving it to people signifies that you want them to have a higher, better year ahead.
7. Dumplings and Fish
The more dumplings you eat this Chinese New Year the better.
Most Filipinos might not know this because dumplings and fish are such staples dishes already in most Chinese restaurants, but these two also play a role in the Chinese New Year tradition.
Dumplings are believed to be symbols of wealth as they resemble ingots or ancient Chinese coins. Some families even put items inside their dumplings like white thread (for longevity) or candy (for sweet life), and it is believed that the more you eat the more money you’ll make in the upcoming year. Fish, on the other hand, signifies abundance as the word “fish” in Chinese sounds like the word for leftovers or surplus. The Chinese believe that if you have leftovers from last year, you can make more for the coming one.
8. Temple Visit
Expect temples filled with worshippers this coming Chinese New Year.
Another thing to expect this Chinese New Year is Chinese temples being jam-packed with visitors. The Chinese make it a point to stop by temples every New Year for two reasons. First is to pray to various deities to bring them good luck and wealth for the new year ahead. Some burn incense while others bring food as a sign of worship. The second reason is to pay respect to their ancestors. The Chinese believe that by remembering their ancestors and offering them sacrifices, they will guide and watch over their descendants and make them prosperous as well.
From the energetic dragon and lion dances to the solemn temple worships, the Chinese New Year only shows how our Chinese brothers and sisters never forget their past and are always hopeful for a better future.
This article was originally published in Yoorekka on February 16, 2018.
About Patricia Marie Prado
Patricia came from the field of business and accounting but is now pursuing her dreams of being a writer. She is a self-confessed introvert and is passionate about reading, travelling, writing, movies, coffee and God. When she's not writing, she loves discovering new coffee shops/cafe and doing TV-series marathons.
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Disclaimer: All articles in the Consumers Magazine of Yoorekka are
for general information and entertainment purposes only. Although
careful research has been made in writing them, Yoorekka does not
make any warranty about the completeness and accuracy of all
information presented in our articles. Our content is not intended
to be used in place of legal, medical, or any professional advice.
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