Philippines New Year's Eve Superstition
By JSAph8888
@JSAph8888 (949)
Philippines
January 6, 2018 5:07am CST
So, one of the Philippines new years' eve superstitions is to scatter coins around your house. Which means, all of the members of your household will have a prosperous year ahead. In the Philippines, where I live, it is a tradition (to most household) to scatter the coins when the clock strikes 12:00midnight (January 1st of the new year). All of the members of the household will eagerly collect coins right after. In our family, after we collect the coins, we will count it and the top 3 persons with the most number of collected coins will have a surprise prize.
So, what are some of your country's traditions/superstitions that you practice every new year's eve?
* the value of coins to be scattered depends on the budget of the household
** I got 718.00 Philippine Peso (or USD 14.4048) and placed as 2nd for the number of collected coins
*** 1 PHP = 0.0200624 USD (per 01/06/2018 10:54 UTC)
12 people like this
13 responses
@owlwings (43910)
• Cambridge, England
6 Jan 18
In my childhood, my father would always 'bring the New Year in' as follows:
A few minutes before midnight, he (as the oldest male in the house) would go outside and all of the lights in the house would be turned off. When midnight struck (in the early days, it would be the church clock but later, when we had a radio, it was the chimes of Big Ben), he would knock at the door holding a lighted candle and a piece of coal and my mother would open the door and kiss him. Then everyone would wish each other a Happy New Year and we would sing the song "For Auld Lang Syne" (which in English means "For Old Long Since" or "For Old Times Past") and we children would rush around the house turning on every light we could find. Drinks would be poured and we would all toast the New Year.
I'm not sure where this tradition came from but I suspect that my father made it up - or adapted it - from "First Footing", which is a Northern English and a Scottish tradition which brings good luck and prosperity into the house. Both my mother and my father were born in Kent, which is in the South of England!
4 people like this
@hereandthere (45645)
• Philippines
6 Jan 18
my father (and now my mother) would turn on all lights and open all doors and windows when the clock strikes 12.
2 people like this
@JSAph8888 (949)
• Philippines
6 Jan 18
@hereandthere we that too! Except for the doors. Hahaha
2 people like this
@JSAph8888 (949)
• Philippines
6 Jan 18
@owlwings awesome tradition In my previous employment, as we celebrate the last working day, we also sing the For Auld Lang Syne. I hope the children are not bumping into each other while rushing around your house. If your father or your ancestors made up your tradition, I can say that they made up a good tradition in your family. It looks like that your family have a tight relationship.
1 person likes this
@toniganzon (72517)
• Philippines
6 Jan 18
For some strange reason I have never heard of that tradition before and we have never practiced it in our own hone.
2 people like this
@hereandthere (45645)
• Philippines
6 Jan 18
we don't do that, too. what i do know about is scattering coins when there's a house blessing.
1 person likes this
@JSAph8888 (949)
• Philippines
6 Jan 18
@toniganzon I see. But most household I know, they also practicing of scattering of coins. What are guys practicing during new years eve? Aside from preparing good food of course.
2 people like this
@JSAph8888 (949)
• Philippines
6 Jan 18
@hereandthere i know that too. But what does your family do during NYE?
@Letranknight2015 (52072)
• Philippines
6 Jan 18
I'm not good with collecting coins, because I end up spending them.
2 people like this
@JSAph8888 (949)
• Philippines
6 Jan 18
@Letranknight2015 I end up spending the coins that I collected on NYE. Hahaha
@LadyDuck (471968)
• Switzerland
8 Jan 18
@JSAph8888 I never did, I am not superstitious.
1 person likes this
@JSAph8888 (949)
• Philippines
8 Jan 18
@LadyDuck is there a meaning of why do you eat 12 grape berries?
1 person likes this
@JSAph8888 (949)
• Philippines
11 Jan 18
@LadyDuck what are the occasions you most celebrated in Switzerland?
1 person likes this
@cintol (11261)
• United States
10 Jan 18
@JSAph8888 We may try that this year, it sounds like fun. Yes I did read the other half and I love the picture of everyone picking up coins. I love learning of traditions from other countries.
1 person likes this
@JSAph8888 (949)
• Philippines
10 Jan 18
@cintol your grandchildren will surely enjoy it.
1 person likes this
@JSAph8888 (949)
• Philippines
10 Jan 18
It;s fun! Just throw and scatter the coins anywhere around the house and member of the household will pick it. Why don't you try it this NYE of 2019 in your new house? (by the way, please see another discussion I posted that entitled, "Behind the Scene Photo". It is a follow up photo of this discussion
1 person likes this
@nitirrbb7 (4317)
• India
8 Jan 18
Wow I like this tradition of yours, we don't have anything as such here but I would love to participate in your tradition and become a winner. By the way the winner has to return back the money he collected or is he to keep it for himself
1 person likes this
@nitirrbb7 (4317)
• India
9 Jan 18
@JSAph8888 Great will try but next new years eve just as the rules say
@JSAph8888 (949)
• Philippines
9 Jan 18
@nitirrbb7 I will post the photo where me and other family members picking the coins so you will have an idea how we practice it
1 person likes this
@JSAph8888 (949)
• Philippines
8 Jan 18
Why don't you try it to your household this year? It's fun! And I believe that it is a general superstition. Everyone can practice it. What a family member collected, he can keep it to himself. He has a choice if he wants to keep it, put it in bank or spend it. It depends on him. "top 3 persons with the most number of collected coins will have a surprise prize" is only a instruction to our family for us to be eager to collect coins. It is not included in the superstition
1 person likes this
@totallyundecided (3190)
• Philippines
6 Jan 18
When I was young, my aunts and uncles would often tell us to put coins in our pocket before Midnight of New Year strikes. We also place coins in each windows of our home to welcome financial luck. Aside from coins, the jumping is also a superstitious belief that you will grew taller (which I am still hopeful that I would grow tall).
Preparations in the table including the 12 fruits that are round - for financial luck. Wearing the lucky color. Lighting up all the lights in the house to shoo the bad vibes. Make a sound from your home as loud as you can and last but not the least is the cleanliness of your home, :)
1 person likes this
@JSAph8888 (949)
• Philippines
6 Jan 18
We also practice in our home all of what you have said. The money in the pocket, jumping, 12 fruits, lights all up, loud sound and clean house. Aside from what you have said above, does your family also scatter coins around your house?
@infatuatedbby (94914)
• United States
8 Jan 18
I've heard of putting coins scattered around the house, but I did not know that was during New Years
@infatuatedbby (94914)
• United States
9 Jan 18
@JSAph8888 oh i see =) that is interesting thank you for sharing your customs here
1 person likes this
@JSAph8888 (949)
• Philippines
9 Jan 18
In the Philippines, there are 2 occasions of scattering of coins around the house, NYE and house blessing.
1 person likes this
@JSAph8888 (949)
• Philippines
9 Jan 18
@infatuatedbby thank you and you're welcome. How about you? How did you and your fiance celebrate the NYE?
1 person likes this
@just4him (317250)
• Green Bay, Wisconsin
8 Jan 18
@JSAph8888 I heard there was but it was way too cold to go out and enjoy them.
@JSAph8888 (949)
• Philippines
8 Jan 18
is there also a fireworks when midnight strikes?
1 person likes this
@ridingbet (66854)
• Philippines
8 Jan 18
there are still some loose change/coins in our windows. we also have some round fruits, and all our wallets had money inside before 2017 left and 2018 came
1 person likes this
@ridingbet (66854)
• Philippines
14 Jan 18
@JSAph8888 our dining table should have food, and we don't put loose coins or money ON the table when there is food, because it is our belief that money should not be placed on a dining table when meals are served.
1 person likes this
@JSAph8888 (949)
• Philippines
8 Jan 18
did you know about dining table on New Year's Eve should have rice grains, salt, money coins and cotton on display in an open containers like small bowls or saucers?
1 person likes this
@Shiva49 (26762)
• Singapore
7 Jan 18
As a child, I used to wait for the new year to get gifts of coins from older family members.
Though this tradition is mostly followed, the young get it throughout the year now!
I still treasure what my mother has given me but the amount is not the issue - siva
1 person likes this
@Shiva49 (26762)
• Singapore
7 Jan 18
@JSAph8888 Only the recent ones as the earlier ones should have merged with others that I have spent! siva
1 person likes this
@JSAph8888 (949)
• Philippines
7 Jan 18
@Shiva49 up to date, do you still have the coins that your mother gave you?
1 person likes this
@JSAph8888 (949)
• Philippines
11 Jan 18
@Shiva49 I can't keep the coins to myself. I end up spending them..
1 person likes this
@JSAph8888 (949)
• Philippines
6 Jan 18
I think that's okay. Other countries don't have any traditions during NYE. As long as you are with your family, that is something to celebrate for the NYE.
1 person likes this
@JSAph8888 (949)
• Philippines
11 Jan 18
@aureliah what are the occasions that you most celebrated in Kenya?
1 person likes this
@JSAph8888 (949)
• Philippines
6 Jan 18
@sehm0329 its fun! Your family should do it next year. Anyway, what does your family do during NYE?
By the way, are you a Filipino? You look like one..
@sehm0329 (42)
•
6 Jan 18
@JSAph8888 nothing much!we will just eat the dishes we prepared like rice cake or malagkit for superstitions the luck will stick around with you..
yup! im a filipino.hehe!