IT CAN be deemed as a love-hate relationship.
Despite protests against China’s so-called “bullying” in the territorial dispute in the South China Sea, the Chinese influence is very much alive in Filipino culture — especially during the celebration of the Chinese New Year.
Local newscasts in the Philippines cover how Pinoys celebrate the lunar new year with the Chinese in the Philippines — from the festivities, the food and the malas/suwerte rituals. Many Filipinos here in America exclaim “Kung hei fat choi” as well.
I have been reading about what Chinese New Year really means. Multiple sources explain that it is also known as the spring festival — the most important celebration in the Chinese calendar. This festival celebrates the start of new life and the season of ploughing and sowing.
Chinese New Year festivities start on the first day of the lunar month and continue until the fifteenth, when the moon is brightest.
This year, the festival begins on January 31 until February 14. This Year of the Horse will be until February 18, 2015.
Traditionally, the first week is celebrated by our Chinese brothers with visits to friends and family. They follow special traditions designed to bring good luck. The second week culminates with the Lantern festival, held on the evening of the 15th day of the lunar month.
Chinese New Year is the oldest Chinese festival and has many traditions. Before the start of the festivities, Chinese people clean their houses to sweep away any bad luck. However, on New Year’s Eve, all brooms, dustpans and brushes are put away so that good luck won’t be swept away.
Houses are decorated with paper scrolls with good luck phrases such as ‘Happiness’ and ‘Wealth.’ Doorways, windows and various other parts of houses and business establishments are decorated with red ribbons and banners to ward off evil.
Some Chinese people bathe with pomelo (or suha) leaves. It is believed that the pomelo leaves enhance prosperity for the coming year.
Interestingly, I heard that it is also a tradition not to wash your hair during the initial days of New Year, as it risks washing out any newly-acquired prosperity.
As we traditionally do as well in the Philippines, families gather together and have a large, traditional meal during the even of the Chinese New Year. They serve traditional food like steamed dumpling and in the south nian gao – a sticky, sweet rice pudding. These are like the “maalsa” rice dishes we feast on as well, believed to bring prosperity or “maalsang kabuhayan.”
Just as we have these common practices during New Years’ Eve, Chinese people stay up until midnight and do fireworks to ward off evil spirits.
Many of us wear red as we greet the new year. This color symbolizes fire, and Chinese people believe it will scare away evil spirits. Therefore, they also people dress head to foot in new red clothing.
Perhaps we hope we practice more of this growing up in the Philippines: On New Year’s Day, children will wake up to find a red envelope filled with money and sweets under their pillows. These are left by their parents and grandparents.
Chinese New Year ends on the 15th day of the lunar month with the lantern festival.
Sources say the lanterns are often handpainted with scenes from history or legend. People hang these glowing lanterns at the windows of their houses, and carry lanterns under the light of the full moon.
Very popular part of the Chinese New Year tradition is the dragon dance. These “dragons” are made of paper, silk and bamboo held aloft by young men dancing and guiding it around to collect money. This dragon dance is also believed to shoo away bad spirits of the old year and welcome all the good luck the new year ushers in.
For those expecting to have a baby this year, Huffington Post reports:
“Horses are known for being strong-willed and unbridled as well as charming and intelligent. According to The Handbook Of Chinese Horoscopes, the Horse is self-centered by nature and wants things done his way. “Performance and success oriented, he always has his sights set on some target.
With his remarkable powers of persuasion, he will set out to sway people to his way of thinking. Snapping his fingers and clicking his heels, this trailblazer could talk you into anything once he begins to dish out the charm. People find it hard to resist his positive and self-assured outlook on life.”
Wooden Horses are thought to be the most reasonable of the five types of horses. (The last year of Wooden Horses was 1954.) Wooden Horses are less impatient than their brethren, finding it easier to be self-disciplined and organized, but they are still strong-willed and resist “being dominated”. They are very happy and active in social settings and are known to be good conversationalists.”
TravelChinaGuide.com shares the following horoscope and numerology elements for the Year of the Horse:
Earthly Branch of Birth Year: wu
Wu Xing (The Five Elements): huo (fire)
Yin Yang: yang
Auspicious Directions: northeast, southwest and northwest
Lucky Colors: brown, yellow, purple; Avoid: blue, white, golden
Lucky Numbers: 2, 3, 7; Avoid 1, 6, 5
Lucky Flowers: calla lily, jasmine, marigold
Zodiac Compatibility – Best match: tiger, sheep, dog; Avoid: rat, ox, rabbit
Celebrities born in the Year of the Horse
Manny Pacquiao, Louisa May Alcott, Chopin, Davy Crockett, Ella Fitzgerald, Aretha Franklin, Sandra Day O’Connor, Rembrandt, Teddy Roosevelt, Sir Isaac Newton, Barbara Streisand, Cindy Crawford, Cynthia Nixon, Denzel Washington, Harrison Ford, Jason Biggs, Jackie Chan, Jerry Seinfeld, John Travolta, Leonard Bernstein, Oprah Winfrey, Paul McCartney, Rembrandt, Ashton Kutcher, Emma Watson, Josh Hartnett, Katie Holmes, Kristen Stewart, Kobe Bryant, Genghis Khan, Emperor Kangxi and Yongzheng of China’s Qing Dynasty (1644 – 1911)
KUNG HEI FAT CHOI!
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Gel Santos Relos is the anchor of TFC’s “Balitang America.” Views and opinions expressed by the author in this column are are solely those of the author and not of Asian Journal and ABS-CBN-TFC. For comments, go to www.TheFil-AmPerspective.com, https://www.facebook.com/Gel.Santos.Relos
