Roots
Polka dots and 12 round fruits
By Marifi Jara
ILHA de Mozambique–My senior high school niece, via e-mail, has recently asked me to help her in shaping up her thesis paper. She wants to do something on ‘Filipino traditions that are disappearing’. I gave her some guidelines and suggestions, and that got me to thinking about Filipino New Year traditions, the beliefs and superstitions, some of which I do miss.
It will be my fifth consecutive year of welcoming a new year outside the Philippines, spending the last four and the coming one in five different places. Since we’re on the topic of beliefs, I must say it must be that mole on my sole, as a Filipino belief goes that having one makes you restless, a persistent traveller.
No matter where, the one common New Year thing is the fireworks. I always love the pyrotechnic displays, but I’ve never been keen on those noisy, smoky and risky exploding stuff (sinturon ni hudas quickly comes to mind), so that is one Filipino New Year tradition that I don’t miss.
I do miss the other amusing ways that people have for making a lot of noise, supposedly to drive away the bad spirits of the past year — banging aluminum pots or washbasins, honking vehicle horns in a certain beat, and of course blowing the torotot! I wonder if the vuvuzelas of South Africa that were a big rave among fans during this year’s World Cup have found their way there (China has started manufacturing them, after all). If those can irritate television viewers worldwide and annoy the football players in the field, I am sure it can scare away a bad spirit or two.
As far as I can remember, my mother never failed in wearing polka-dotted clothes for the New Year’s eve, the round design meant to signify prosperity for the coming year. I don’t think I ever did (or I could be having some memory lapse) but maybe this time I’ll go hunting for something with dots to wear, if only to honor my mother who has also been faithfully observing the tradition of having at least 12 different kinds of round fruits (calamansi counts!) on the table, each one representing abundance for every month. If you ask my mom, no harm in having more than 12, if you are lucky enough and/or willing to pay a ridiculous price for some out-of-season fruits. Among the variety of fruits, remember grapes would be extra important because you are also supposed to eat 12 pieces at the stroke of midnight for good fortune (good thing it doesn’t have to be calamansi!).
I won’t have chicken to avoid isang-kahig-isang-tuka (hand-to-mouth subsistence), but would eating pork make me a slob in 2011? I think I better stick to seafood or beef.
It’s out of the question that I go jumping at midnight to supposedly grow taller (it’s the children who are traditionally told to do this), but heck it will be simply fun to just jump around in joy, perhaps to the beat of some nice loud dancy music!
As we will most likely be in a beach resort for the New Year party this year, I won’t be able to do the traditional turning on of all house lights and opening all doors, windows, and cabinets to invite positive vibes in. I will just open my arms wide to welcome the good groove.
Beliefs and superstitions are by definition irrational ideas — it is thinking that a certain object or action will result in either good or bad luck without logical explanation. But isn’t religious faith somehow like that too — believing in something without an absolutely irrefutable proof? They all are part of our culture, of who we are as a people.
So let’s carry on with the Filipino New Year traditions (not the dangerous explosives, though). At the very least they are entertaining and there’s really no harm in them, and at most, they give us roots.
Have a safe and fun celebration and cheers to the coming year!
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