Tradition is rife in the Philippines during Christmas and New Year celebrations. These are common customs passed on to us from our parents or from other cultures. The Spaniards gave us the Noche Buena, and the Chinese passed on to us the tradition of having a bowl of round fruits for prosperity and abundance for the new year. These practices have been handed down to us for so many years they have become part of our way of life.
I watched with amusement while everybody seemed to scramble to buy round fruits one or two days before New Year’s eve.
And because the law of supply and demand kicks in during this time, prices of fruits, especially the imported ones, rise rocket high, and you find yourself cash- strapped just trying to keep up with the tradition of having a bowl of fruits on the table during New Year’s eve.
And so you settle for the greenest, smallest tambis (Java apple), a guava that is just barely out of bud, or the sourest bu-ongon (pomelo) — which, to my mind, defeats the purpose of prosperity when all you do is throw these inedible fruits away after the celebration.
Don’t get me wrong. I still believe in this tradition as passionately as everyone does. But I don’t buy fruits for what I call my Prosperity Bowl. What I do is go to the vegetable section of the supermarket or to the Pa-unay. I buy a head of lettuce, a few potatoes, red and yellow onions, a few heads of garlic, some plump tomatoes, and green and red sweet peppers. I arrange these in a big bowl as beautifully as only my un-artistic self can do, and voila! I have my Prosperity Bowl. I stick in a few carrots for added color, and I make sure they point heavenward.
And you know what, I have salad the next day.
To welcome Year 2018, I tried to follow my friend’s family’s tradition of having 13 different dishes on the table on New Year’s Eve to symbolize each month of the year, plus one dish for abundance and prosperity.
Only to find out just minutes before the clock struck 12 midnight that we were short of one dish. And so we ended up frying bulad (dried fish) just to complete the tradition’s required 13 dishes.
Traditions for Christmas and New Year, especially those that have been around for a very long time, can still be kept to their smallest detail, or you can add a few of your own, or tweak it to fit the times, or even your budget.
Or you can even start your own tradition. I believe what is most important is that we share the tradition with family and friends, and that we do it not because it is customary, but because it is meaningful.
In church on New Year’s eve, just as the worship was winding up, the pastor asked the congregation to turn to the next person and say, “Peace be with you”. I faced the person next to me, a college age young man, and said, “Peace, man”, and made the peace sign. He stared at me as if this old woman had just gone bonkers. And I thought, “What? This was my language when I was your age.” Peace, man. Make love not war. Flower power.
Same message, peace.
Happy New Year, everyone.
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Author’s email: [email protected]
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