Around the world this New Year

New Year festivals are among the oldest and most universally observed occasions. Worldwide, people have different ways of welcoming the new year. Not all New Year celebrations take place on the same day. People in different parts of the globe use different calendars.

China and Israel keep a lunar calendar based on the movement of the moon around the earth. Some countries like the Philippines and the US use the Gregorian calendar which falls exactly one week after Christmas Day of the previous year. It is also a Holy Day to many followers of some Eastern Orthodox churches which celebrate new year on Jan. 14 of the Gregorian calendar.

In our country, the new year celebration is intentionally noisy. Handed down by the Chinese, it is believed that making noise as the clock strikes at 12 midnight will ward off evil spirits and protect people from bad luck. Some people wear red dresses for good luck while others wear clothes with polka dots which are associated with money. Coins are placed in pockets so as to have money the whole year round.

Children are asked by elders to jump so they will grow tall. Families gather together for the traditional media noche where the table is overflowing with food. There are also native delicacies like kakanin, made of sticky rice, that families will stay intact and solid amidst life’s challenges.

In the US, a common image used during New Year’s Day is the incarnation of Father Time (or the Old Year) wearing a sash across his chest with the previous year printed on it and passing his duties to the Baby New Year (or the "New Year"), an infant donning a sash with the new year on it. In Pasadena, California, the Tournament of Roses is held with revelers viewing the parade from the streets or watching its broadcast on TV followed by the Rose Bowl football games. The famous Philadelphia Mummer parade on Broad Street originated in colonial times among the Swedish settlers is one of the oldest among American celebrations.

The tradition takes place in many northern hemisphere cities near bodies of water where people plunge into the cold water on New Year’s Day. An example is the Coney Island Polar Bears Club in New York, the oldest cold-water swimming club in the US. The club had groups of people trying the chilly surf since 1903. Similar tradition is observed in British Columbia. People in Vancouver, Canada don their bathing suits and plunge into the icy-cold water during the winter.

In Sydney, Australia, celebration of the New Year’s Eve has the world’s largest fireworks display with 1.5 million people flocking to the harbor. Australia is one of the first countries in the world to celebrate the new year since it is close to the International Dateline.

The Jewish New Year which starts with the month of Tishri (roughly September) is called the Feast of Trumpets. Rosh Hashanah means the beginning of the year. The home is prepared, new clothes are worn and greetings cards are sent. The table is spread with the best linen, china and baskets of fruits. With the lighting of candles in the evening, the meal begins with special benedictions said over bread or an apple dipped in honey. In the synagogue, the ram’s horn trumpet is blown. For the Jews, it is a day for meditation and self-examination, a solemn occasion.

The Chinese celebrate for several days the greatest festival of the year which falls according to their lunar calendar, anywhere between Jan. 21 and Feb. 20. The Chinese New Year, known as Yuan Tan, is celebrated by the Chinese around the world. Celebrations are intended to bring good luck, health, wealth and happiness. Street parades are held where people gather to watch the floats. The dragon is a popular figure associated with longevity and wealth. Chinese decorate their houses with plastic firecrackers to ward off bad luck.

Happy New Year to all of you!

Welcome 2007

Last night, I welcomed 2007 with much excitement and zest as I diligently went through my yearly rituals to ensure a prosperous, abundant new year. At 11 p.m., Dec. 31, 2006, I gathered everyone – Nanay, Mana Fe, Lanie, Jake and Bong – to pray the Holy Rosary before the altar just outside our bedroom – the place that gives me comfort when things go wrong, and humility when things go right.

After the Holy Rosary, I started to open the windows, drawers, cabinets, closets, doors and hearts. I changed into my flaming red new year T-shirt. Then the coins, bills of all denominations filled my pockets and wallets (three of them, one for 20’s and 50’s, one for 100 peso bills, one for 500s and 1,000s). I scattered money all over the bedroom with heavy concentration on the bed where I rolled at the stroke of midnight. Of course, the 13 fruits were on the dining table overflowing with pancit, kare-kare, chicken, mechado, malagkit, castañas and tuyo (specially made by my cook Fe).

In the other room, Nanay was even busier. Outside the house, Bong was in charge of the fireworks. Jake, my six-year-old nephew, held on to his torotot. Dance music was blaring while everyone was dancing like the Sex Bomb Dancers. I was quietly praying, holding on to my precious rosary beads Manay Ichu Maceda gave me a few years ago. I kept on saying, "Lord, thank you, thank you, thank you. Forgive me, forgive me, forgive me. Thank you, thank you, thank you."

Deep inside my heart, I claimed the gifts of 2007.