celebrating a Filipino New Year

The ball has dropped. The revelry is over.

2008 has come and gone.

But that doesn't mean my parents can let my...shall we say...imperfections slide.

One thing I have learned is that Filipinos are a superstitious lot.

So over holiday brunch, Lola and Lolo2Amara quizzed me on how my family celebrated the evening before.

I dutifully answered that we each ate 12 grapes at the strike of midnight. I knew each grape represented prosperity in every month of 2009.

But my Filipino parents shook their heads at me.

Did I have money in my pocket? Apparently a full wallet meant a year of wealth.

Did we eat pancit? Long noodles mean a long life. (To my credit, I did serve lo mein at brunch today.)

Sigh.

Wasn't it enough that I had cleaned the Grey House and finished all the ironing so that I would not have a dirty home for the next few months?

All of the doors and windows needed to be open to allow good blessings easy access to my home. (I wonder, is that the Pinoy version of feng shui?)

My dad said all of the lights needed to be turned on. This would light our way in 2009.

And my black little number on New Year's Eve was inappropriate according to Filipino superstition. I should have donned polka dots to bring my family money. The polka dots provide a fashion metaphor for coins.

My mom said we should have had Amara jump at midnight. This would mean my five-year-old daughter would not be destined for Filipino shortness. Jumping would make her grow taller.

The superstitions went on and on.

By the end of our meal, my head was spinning.

Who knew celebrating a holiday was so complicated?

But if there's one thing I have found...Filipinos know how to party. So we must be doing something right!

Happy New Year!

Mabuhay!

photo credit lcg2001