The secret is out: It’s double the fun to have two New Year celebrations each year.
Apart from the more familiar January 1, another one, which the Chinese and other East Asian peoples have been observing for centuries on the second new moon of the winter solstice, is attracting more and more Filipinos whether of Chinese descent or not.
This year, the Lunar New Year falls on February 3. But even with several days yet to go, already predictions, auguries of good luck, and superstitious reminders abound as the country gets set to welcome the Year of the Metal Rabbit. A report on GMA News’ “24 Oras Weekend" showed Filipino and Chinese families scrambling to fill their tables with sticky and sweet delicacies, and round fruits (save for pears), all believed to usher in good luck. Filipinos are taking well to the Chinese festivity. After all, one Filipino trademark shared with Chinese festivities is feasting on an abundance of food — a fact that Chinese ambassador Liu Jianchao himself did not overlook.
Featured in a separate newscast also on “24 Oras", the smiling ambassador displayed his skill in cooking dumplings, a tasty treat he was not privileged to enjoy growing up during the spartan years of building socialism, when poor families like his own depended on rations. This page requires a higher version browser Rolling the dough, Ambassador Liu explained that a hundred years ago, the Chinese had pure gold money the shape of which resembled that of the dumplings. The dumplings are symbolic of prosperity valued highly by the Chinese, the ambassador said, in an interview in his residence filled with décor supposedly to attract good fortune, such as fish, round lanterns, and fortune bamboo.
"Chinese people value prosperity, of course, we also value money. We want to be rich, to be better off, and we want to have good fortune," he said.
"The year of the metal rabbit is about harmony and goodwill," he added, saying that people should focus on the good traits of the animals instead of believing in negative superstitions.
"Don't be that superstitious. Try to maximize the good side of an animal, that gives you confidence and peace of mind," the ambassador cautioned, as he made a goodwill scroll in the spirit of strengthening ties between the Philippines and China. Liu may not have to make too many goodwill scrolls, since Chinese nationals who migrated to the Philippines more than doubled in 2010 — this, even with last year’s hostage tragedy in Manila where eight Hong Kong citizens were killed. (See: Number of Chinese immigrants in PHL doubled in 2010) From just 30,809 in 2009, the number of Chinese living in the country went up 61,372 in 2010, making them the top foreign citizens to choose the Philippines — the “Kingdom of Coconuts" according to Liu — their preferred second home. "We know that the Chinese New Year is a very important event here because we have many Chinese-Filipino communities," said Arlene Alipio, head of the China Marketing Team of the Department of Tourism. On Saturday, the DOT launched the 1st Metro Manila Lion Dance Competition as a prelude to the New Year revelry, in the agency’s bid to project the celebration to a wider audience. Despite the growing popularity of the Lunar New Year even among Filipinos with no Chinese ancestry, it still falls short of getting the same official government recognition accorded to other religio-cultural traditions, such as the Ramadan and Eid’l Feitr for Muslims or Christmas Day for the majority of this predominantly Catholic nation’s citizens. President Benigno Aquino III would have wanted to declare the Chinese New Year a special non-working holiday, he said, but the proposal came late.
"We hope to include this (Chinese New Year) next year," Aquino earlier said. (See: Aquino: Chinese New Year not a holiday) Official holiday or not, the Chinese New Year offers Filipinos here and in other countries another opportunity to mark the passage of time with feasting, in the hope that the year ahead will bring more good than bad fortune. Ambassador Liu, however, reflects the tremendous optimism of his vast country, which is now being perceived globally as the newly-awaken dragon. "I know that the world is going to be a better world, year by year," Liu said.—Carmela G. Lapeña and Jerrie M. Abella/JV
