New Year's Eve Tradition - Clarissa

To pick a particular family tradition is quite difficult for me, especially when we have so many of them.  Hmm…okay, I got one! 

Every New Year’s Eve, my parents would prepare our home to bring in the New Year.  Sounds strange, but they weren’t just preparing to have lots of family and friends over to help celebrate.  No, they did what most Filipino families do on New Year’s Eve. 

My parents would make sure that we cleaned our house top to bottom before New Year’s Eve.  They hung grapes above each doorway and throw coins at the foot of the door (doesn’t matter what amount) inside of our home.  My mom would have a variety of twelve round fruits in the fruit bowl on the dining table.  We would wear clothes with polka dots on them; everyone’s outfit would not be complete without some part of their clothing having polka dots on them.  The adults made sure they had cash in their wallets, and that all the kids had money in their pockets. 

All of this may seem quite weird, right?  Filipinos believe that when you hang a bundle of grapes over the doorway it brings the family luck for the whole year and those who enter our home.  The coins that were thrown at the foot of the doorway, polka dots and the variety of round fruits is said that round signifies prosperity and good health.  Money also symbolizes more money coming into the household. The twelve fruits symbolize prosperity for each month out of the year.  As for having cash in your pockets, you want to start the year right.  Bringing in the New Year by paying off your bills, having money in your pocket and a clean home determines how you will start off the New Year; hopefully, a clean start - sounds good to me. 

Wait, there’s more!  Right before midnight we grab twelve grapes and right at midnight we eat them.  We cheer loud and tell the kids to jump twelve times.  Why?  After consuming each grape we make a wish for each month of the year; this is a Spanish tradition.  Cheering loud is a symbol of a bright and cheerful year.  As for the kids jumping twelve times, it’s supposed to help them grow, but as you can see I’m not at all tall. 

I still carry on this tradition ‘til this day.  Hope you all enjoyed reading one of my favorite traditions. 

Below is a picture of how my family celebrates the New Year.