Lucky Way to Welcome Chinese New Year

CEBU, Philippines - Put your God First. Glorify Whomever you believe your God to be! Being humbly grateful for all the blessings of the past year and in hopeful prayer for a better year and life in the year of the Wood Sheep is the best way for welcoming Chinese New Year.

This is the reason behind the mad rush to Chinese temples by our Chinoy brothers and sisters. Among Catholics, praying in church or at the home altar or simply finding some private moment to do so is best, right and just.

But the one praying must pay attention to his or her own loves and passions. The mind shall vividly picture aspirations for the coming year - one's own and those of one's partner and loved ones.

Goals shall be clearly defined in wishing for God to bestow them abundantly. Then, again, the new year shall be celebrated to glorify God. How?

Here's how:

Prepare lucky foods that attract good health, good luck and prosperity to you, in your home and business. It need not be complicated.

1. Put eight bright oranges with one or two pineapples on your dining table as well as the reception of your office. This invites double prosperity to these properties and yourself.

2. Prepare tikoy (Chinese glutinous rice cake) as symbolic goodwill offering to your God (of wealth and health) as well as others (loved ones and friends) for harmony and peace.

3. For abundant living all year round, prepare three basic dishes: fish, meat, and poultry. Whole fish is a must with the head of the fish pointing to the breadwinner of the family; if there are two or more breadwinners, prepare one fish each pointing to them on the dining table.

Contrary to Filipino superstition that chicken is "isang kahig, isang tuka," meaning poverty, in feng shui it is the best for promoting family unity and averting any conflicts regarding inheritance or money - if served whole with head and feet.

For meat, this year, it's best to serve pork, especially roasted pig, not beef from ox, cow, cattle or goat and lamb.

4. Give lai see or lucky money ampaw red envelopes with cash gifts amounting to a minimum of eight pesos and either 88; 8888; 8,8888 or more for your loved ones and special friends, to go with tikoy.

5. Chinese New Year celebration goes on for two weeks from February 19 to 28. Partaking of any of the following seafood dishes during this period, spaced or altogether in a meal will bring enormous attraction of great material wealth to anyone doing it: clam or halaan soup, mussels or tahong cooked in any way, and oysters too.

6. Do general cleaning, but sweep dirt inward  towards a dustpan, not outward.

7. Be wary of bogus feng shui advisory in media nowadays, like putting tiger figurines in any form, using red or pink colors, as they burn the luck of the wood element this coming year - especially love life! Beware of any water element placement they prescribe, as it will bring havoc to your wallet; and peacock symbols attract separation and divorce!

8. It is good to put an image of your "guru" on a spot that's always visible to you - on a wall in your office, or at the office or home altar. One of my most ardent followers, now taipan Gino Baltao of Monheim group of companies, even placed my photo alongside his patriarch's altar in their office - to my great surprise! Do not laugh, you may do the same if you want to experience his exponential growth in business.

Wishing you all the luck this Wood Sheep 2015! Plan your year and work your plan! Kong hei fat choi!

Now, as the song goes: Save the best for last! Do not forget to have a new haircut on February 28, between 1 to 3 p.m. if you want to sow riches this year! Why? Secret… (FREEMAN)