MEDYA NOCHE or NEW YEAR’S EVE DINNER
If you happen to be invited to share a New Year’s eve meal with a Filipino Family and don’t know what to expect, read on. In the Philippines, the New Year’s eve celebration is called “Medya Noche”. Medya Noche is a Spanish word which literally means “midnight”.
The New Year is welcomed by Filipinos by serving their specialty foods and lighting fireworks. In many households, the New Year’s eve meal is more lavish than the Christmas Eve meal. Filipinos believe that if you put luxurious food on your table on New Year’s eve, your table will be blessed with good food throughout the year. This is just one of the many “pamahiins” (superstitious beliefs) that we follow to attract good fortune for the coming year. There are many more of these beliefs, but they are too many to mention and they vary from place to place. There are, however, some that are widely followed.
One of the “pamahiin” is putting 13 kinds of round fruits on the table. Round fruits symbolizes money (as in coins) and having them on your table means that you’ll make a lot of money for the year. 13 pieces of grapes are hung for the same reason. In the same token, polka dots are worn. Red is the colour of choice which symbolizes good luck.
Just before the midnight strikes, all the doors, windows, closets should be widely opened to welcome good fortune. When the clock strikes twelve, fireworks are lit and all kinds of noises are made. This is to repel bad luck and scare off evil. Children jumps as high as they can as it is thought that if you jump you’ll grow higher. Pockets are filled with coins which are then shaken to attract more money for the year.
I’m not a firm believer of these “pamahiins” and I sometimes think that they are silly. But then again, I still follow them. If you happen to share this meal with a Filipino family, I would suggest for you to just roll with it. After all, it won’t harm you and it might just bring you prosperity for the coming year.
Article: PinoyStop
Photos: PinoyStop
