What's your New Year's tradition?

There are so many traditions Filipinos observe to celebrate the coming of a new year — from having the kids jump as high as they can at the strike of midnight to serving round foods like grapes. We grow up with these traditions as children and make new ones when we have our own families. These are the things that make for a memorable New Year’s Eve.

Edu Manzano, child welfare advocate/vice presidential candidate

In our family, one of our traditions is that a prayer leader is assigned every year who’s in charge of composing two special prayers. Before our meal, we join hands and thank God for the year that passed, including all special intentions and the challenges that came our way. The second prayer comes shortly after 12 midnight, when we ask for continued guidance and express our hope for the coming year. I started my own personal tradition when the new millennium came, so I’m in my 10th year now. I have a “journal of 5’s” wherein I review the five most important lessons I learned in the past year, and the five most important things I would like to achieve in the year ahead. Writing down my annual entries usually takes up several hours, but I find that it gives me a good sense of perspective, introspection, and focus.

Senator Kiko Pangilinan

We celebrate my mom-in-law’s birthday (Dec. 31) for dinner and then we hie off out of town to avoid the smoke and pollution from the fireworks and welcome the New Year with family and loved ones.

Bianca Araneta Elizalde, model, mother

We usually have dinner then Juan and I put the kids to bed before midnight and take a drive together to watch the fireworks. We try to go to bed early because we have to be up early with our daughter early the next day. This year we have a new baby so I’m sure it will be an early night for us.

Boy Martirez, businessman

Apart from attending New Year’s midnight Mass and having noche buena at home, I make sure the family is all together at midnight. We do a countdown and greet each other a Happy New Year and call up relatives abroad as well. When the kids were younger, I would tell them to jump as high as they could so they would grow taller and would also tell them to make sure their wallets have money inside. But more importantly, I tell my kids to thank God for the year that was and to continue to bless our family for the New Year and beyond.

Adel Tamano, lawyer/senatorial candidate

I really don’t have any New Year’s Day tradition other than making sure that I spend New Year’s Eve with my wife and kids. The Tamano family and the Kapunan family have separate celebrations so part of the New Year is spent traveling from one party to the other. Starting the year with my family reminds me of what is truly important in my life — and it isn’t my career, money, or politics. What is most important is having a happy marriage and a stable family life.

Albert Martinez, actor

We usually go out of town or the country. If there’s not enough time we just try to do something new or special like renting a yacht. What’s important though, even if it’s at home, is that I am together with my family. It’s important that you leave all the bad things behind and face the new year with a positive attitude and renewed spirit.

Jome Silayan, student, mixed martial artist

We gather for early New Year’s Eve dinner together with the family. At 12 midnight, we gather outside to watch the fireworks and toast to new year, then continue the merriment with dinner. We hear Mass the next morning.

US Ambassador Kristie Kenney

Here in the Philippines, my New Year’s tradition has been to spend New Year’s Eve with friends, outside when possible, greeting the New Year under balmy tropical skies. Wherever I live, I always start the New Year at church and then later in the day I write down all the blessings from the year past and then list the ways in which I hope to become a better person in the year that is just beginning.

Marilen Elizalde, housewife

When we are in the country, we spend the holidays with our family in Subic. New Year’s Eve, we spend in Subic Bay watching the fireworks display from a boat on the water. When we are out of the country, in the snow, we spend the whole day skiing and then come home and have an intimate family celebration watching the fireworks from the window while enjoying the warmth in front of the fireplace.

Adolfo S. Azcuna, chancellor, Philippine Judicial Academy

We welcome the New Year with the tooting of horns and shaking of coins. And some fireworks amid the surrounding firecrackers in the neighborhood. Then the family gathers together, says a prayer to welcome the new year and give thanks to God, and ask for His blessings. We pop a champagne bottle and partake of a simple noche buena consisting of round-shaped foods like puto, grapes, and castañas aside from the usual ham and pancit. Our New Year’s celebration is capped by a morning Mass and the traditional family picture taking in our sala, including our three family Sharpei dogs.

Drew Arellano, TV host/triathlete

Eating a dozen grapes and jumping 12 times after to grow taller! It never works but we still do it yearly.