New Year’s Eve

New Year’s Eve is one of the largest global celebrations because it marks the last day of
the year, December 31, before the New Year, it signifies new hope, new opportunities, and new
beginnings. New Year’s Eve is celebrated in different ways worldwide. Traditionally, we
celebrate it by the last minutes of the year by toasting with champagne, blowing horns, playing
loud music pieces, and screams of people around greeting you a Happy New Year. These things
were the only kinds of stuff you'll be able to hear. It is said that making these noises will drive
away evil spirits and welcomes the New Year ahead, setting fireworks, eating foods, hugging
and kissing our loved ones, and anything that makes everyone happy.

In traditional times, it was a Roman calendar that had only ten months and designated
March 1st as the New Year. However, in the Gregorian calendar, there are 12 months in every
year, and the New Year falls on January 1st, and this date is widely accepted and celebrate.
Here in the Philippines, New Year's Eve is known to be the "Media Noche," and some people
choose to go to church first before celebrating the occasion. Looking back to the past year,
thanking God for all the blessings we received, how God protected us in the past year. In Psalm
100:4-5 give thanks to him and praise his name. For the Lord is good and his love endures
forever; his faithfulness continues through all generations. People look forward and see what
God will do in this another year.

One of the essential things in celebrating New Year is that it makes us reflect on the
roller coaster journey that we've gone through the year. It makes us even more potent and
dedicated to strive harder for another year full of challenges, and it is about welcoming another
journey and bid the old one Goodbye. It is where everybody starts making their personal New
Year's resolution. Similar to having a diet, being nice, spreading love, and stop going back to the
things that make you suffer.

First thing in the morning, as soon as you go out on the street, you'll be likely to hear
loud kinds of music from different houses and kids blowing their horn, shouting and jumping,
seeing it in their eyes that they are exceptionally excited and eager for the midnight feast.
Throughout the whole day of December 31st, expect that people were either shopping at Malls
for food to serve on the dinner table or in their respective homes, making preparations and
gearing up for New Year's Eve.

Everyone gathers for the medianoche. It is considered as an unspoken rule that Every end of
the year and Christmas Families are always complete. They were to dine and eat together,
sharing happy thoughts and dire memories and moments they've had, as this is a day
considered a holiday, No working and No classes day. Families from distant places used it to set
off home, either from provinces or from the cities to be with other relatives and extended
family members who have not been and seen each other for a long time. Cousins can finally
bond with each other, Grandparents may be able to see their growing granddaughters and
grandsons. Uncles and Aunts yet can play with their baby nieces and nephews as the distance
constricts them to do so on regular days, and this Holiday is the key driver and one of the many
reasons to come home and enjoy things with your households. Most notably, in most
households, these family gatherings are not complete without liquors. Liquors that our father,
uncles, cousins, etc., drinks throughout the night.

In the Philippines, some celebrate it by attending and gathering around in public venues
with other families, namely, The traditional fireworks at Mall of Asia grounds and Bonifacio
Global City Malls in Taguig, but considering the timely Pandemic, the COVID 19 which
undoubtedly forced most people to adopt a new lifestyle where physical distancing and
avoiding mass gatherings is strictly advised, every single thing has begun to have its limitation
and people started to adapt the new normal ways of living, and we cannot deny that it has
affected most of us in every aspect of our lives. One of those things is the way how people
celebrates occasion such as holidays. Virtual celebration and online gatherings are now the new
way people celebrate and so as meetings regarding the pandemic protocols because family
gatherings are strictly not advisable now and only a limited number of people can join. Facing
the pandemic is really a burden to most people because it forbids us to do the usual things we
used to do during holidays. Thus, Home or not, Anywhere is fine as long as the New Years' spirit
is there. Most importantly, you have someone to celebrate with, Family. The one thing that
matters most.

Foods set at the table Consisting of several traditional dishes like, Sticky foods such as
rice cakes and tikoys are believed to strengthen and improve the family’s bond and
relationship, 12 or more Round Fruits, Pancit the perfect new year dish believe to give people
long life, Cake, Hams, the infamous Quezo de Bola and Lechons There are many foods to
choose from, that you'll not be able to choose where to taste and eat first. Still, by not looking
at the traditional way on how people celebrate the new year, We also know that not everyone
has the chance and can afford to celebrate it in a fancy way. For some, While the holiday
season is meant to be a joyful time, They may find it as a financial challenge and worry. Even
ordinary people do. Just by listening to their neighbors and acquaintances discuss their holiday
plans may lead them to be upset and pressured on how they will go with the flow of how
people usually celebrate the new year. It may leave them questioning themselves on how
they're going to tell their family that they cannot afford to buy some sort of things such as gifts
for their children because while the holiday season comes closer, food prices also rise, which is
a burden for many people. Two square meals a day would be more than enough for them to
celebrate the new year. Unlike average people, we have enough money to buy several foods
and essential things to use for the New Year's eve celebration. For some instance, indigent
people's way of celebrating the occasion is like passing on to their ordinary days where they
rely upon the government's relief assistance and help from other people

There are traditional beliefs to do on New Year's Eve, and for us being a Filipino
superstitious, No matter what the occasion is, Filipinos always have certain traditions that, they
believe, would bring them good luck and prosperity. New Year's Eve is not an exception. Many
families display piles of fruit on their dining tables, and few eat 12 round fruits (grapes being
the most common) at midnight. Many also wear polka dots for luck. You'll find round shapes all
over the Philippines on New Year's Eve as representatives of coins to symbolize prosperity in
the coming year. Throwing of coins around the house to bring prosperity to the household
through the coming months. Childrens are prohibited from picking up these coins until
midnight. They are task to jump once the clock turns 12 in that way, their height would increase
an inch. Opening of windows and Doors to let the luck and prosperity enter the home, People
also fill their pockets with cash and coins, believing that it would do you more money in the
New year ahead. It is also said if you are doing something when the clock strikes 12, that same
thing will happen to you for the rest of the year. Being at home and singing ensures that that
person would not go out as much and constantly sing in the coming year.

Celebrating in the new year and bidding adieu to the old one is a tradition that spans the
globe. In the Philippines traditions continue to cultivate, but in other countries and place it's not
just all fireworks and glittery ball drops everywhere. (Insider 2016) New Year's Eve is actually a
three-day celebration in Scotland's capital and across the country. In Spain, They have their
own tradition of eating 12 grapes, One for each stroke of midnight it is believe to bring
prosperity in your entire year. Brazil also has lot of traditions and One of them dictates that
jumping seven waves will bring good luck in the coming year especially if you're wearing white
to bring peace. In Denmark, they smash things like chipped dishes and glasses against someone
houses. The more shards you have on your doorstep the next morning, the more popular you
are. In Japan they celebrate by ringing of bells 108 times in Buddhist temples, and the Chinese
New Year which is celerated in a different calendar and day unlike most of us celebrates. Every
countries have their own traditional way of celebrating New Year's Eve.

This years celebration may seem to look like a different one, but that doesn't mean that
people didn't celebrate it in style. However, they still manage to make lasting memories
virtually from the comfort of their own homes. Since only limited number can gather together,
it is a good thing that people followed the safety protocols of inviting only limited visitors.