New Years Celebration In The Philippines
Philippines celebration of New Years is a lot like that of the US but exaggerated. The main exception is that is more about family than a party. What partying there is usually done with family. The disco in Bogo City was closed on New Years eve. What would be the biggest night in the year for most bars and clubs is a 
closed day here in the Philippines. I’m sure many are open, especially in the larger cities but in Cebu, they are closed. Well, we have only one and it was closed.
Fireworks and Evil Spirits
The Filipino that I know personally are considerably more superstitious than Americans. I’m not saying they should or shouldn’t be. Sometimes the home we live in gives me the creeps and it does Jessie too. She’s never said anything but I can tell. Going down the kitchen in the middle of the night is really creepy for some strange reason.
In the Philippines, fireworks on New Years Eve are to ward off the evil spirits. I assume this came from the Chinese influence in the country. If there are any evil spirits, they are not only driven off they are traumatized after the war zone that Bogo City became about 11:30pm last night. I think we may have been the only people in town that didn’t set off any fireworks. They were going off every place. I had wanted to walk down to the wharf but ended up not feeling very well last night so I went no place. Jessie had told me there would be too many fireworks and we might get hurt, accidentally. I understand now! I would still go though. I just want to be a part to everything Filipino.
More than 12 Fruits
Another tradition here is to put more than twelve fruits on the table for your new years dinner. The kids spent the night with the yaya. Which was fine with us and them. I’ve never been a big reveler for new years. And this year brings the year in which I turn 50 so today I’m just a day older than I was yesterday. I did want to go out though, just didn’t work out.
The next time something goes bump in the night, I’m going to figure it is a traumatized ghost that is so scared it closed its eyes and bumped into a wall. Though it was mostly just another day for me, that sure wasn’t true for almost all Filipino!
Tagged with: Bogo City • Cebu • Cebuano Culture • Philippines • Philippines New Years Eve
Filed under: Cebu Holiday
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There was so much smoke caused by the fireworks in Manila that the national weather service felt the need to report that there was no fog but what people were seeing was the smoke from the fireworks. They went on to say that the smoke was normal but there are usually winds that blow the smoke out over the ocean. This time the smoke was trapped giving the illusion of fog.
Hi Rusty – Just to give you a bit of perspective on differences in Davao City, and some things that are the same:
1. Bars and such are closed here on New Years too, the whole city is shut down, basically.
2. Fireworks are illegal in Davao. You don’t hear a single one here. Anybody caught with a firecracker gets to spend the night in jail.
3. On the fruits, the belief here is that it must be more than 12 round fruits.
I wonder if that is true in Cebu City and Manila and Angeles City, probably least likely in Angeles.
I was hoping I had the 12 right, I was afraid it was more than 13.
I also wonder if it is ROUND fruit in the entire country. I noticed more fruit for sale in the last week or so. More street vendors.
I saw on TV about the Davao no fireworks law. I was going to ask you if it was actually enforced. That’s too bad, I enjoyed it. I suppose there is some risk to property though. I’m surprised there is not more problems with it. There were a couple of reports of fire on ANC TV. Probably a lot more unreported. If someone burned my house down, I’m sure I’d be far more in favor of no fireworks.
Now you’re going to have to hope the evil spirits don’t get you. LOL I bet they all high tailed it to Davao after what went on in the rest of the country. That’s okay, they are all too traumatized to do much about it. LOL
Hi Rusty – The no fireworks is very strictly enforced here in Davao, and has been since it’s inception about 8 years ago or so. Too bad? Not for me, when I lived in GenSan, I hated all the fireworks! I love the peace and quiet we get here in Davao!
Peace and Quiet, even from the roosters?
I enjoyed what happened in Bogo City. I was a little bit surprised since there are so many poor people.
Next year I’ll have to do at least one set of fire crackers or something.
Guy in our compound has at least four roosters. I think five but he might have more.
I knew someone that was going to move from his place because of the roosters and I was like, you’re not going to escape the freaking roosters. 
Hi Rusty – Ha ha… well, firecrackers are a little louder than roosters, especially when thousands of them are going off all around you!
We used to have a rooster next door that bugged me. Now that you mention it, though, I just realized that it’s been months since I heard a rooster! Amen to that!
The thousands of fireworks within 30 minutes I can live with, if I could get away with it, I’d be eating some tuff old roosters….
I can’t imagine living here and going months without hearing a rooster, you sure you’re not just rooster deaf? Are you a shut in? LOL I just heard one and now all his friends will have to answer him. There went the answer, a third one will chime in and then the original will go at it again. lol They don’t bother me any more. I had a father in law that use to sleep on the wings of jets he was working on in the navy, he said you can get use to any thing after that.
Hi Rusty – Let me make a small correction… I have heard roosters, but I don’t hear them at home. I mean, when I am at the house, trying to sleep or whatever, we don’t hear roosters. If I go out and about, of course, I hear them from time to time.
Man, you’re living a different life from me. LOL The only way I could avoid roosters here if I lived outside the city, way out but this is an agriculture / fishing area. We have three of them under our shared car port. They woke me up regular at first. One of those “get use to it” things.
When I lived in Talisay, in an upscale area way back off the main roads it was quite there but there were still roosters. Maybe I wouldn’t hear them in parts of downtown Cebu City. They don’t bother me. I don’t notice them unless I talk about them.
Most Westerners would be shocked to see cock fights on TV.
I saw some commercials the last time I watched them for Slasher I think it was called. PETA would go nuts, if they come here they’ll just get deported. I’m not a big fan of PETA.
Hi Rusty – PETA? That’s People Eating Tasty Animals, right?
Nope Bob, it’s ppol eating tasty americans.
Just to join a discussion some 8 months ago, DVO city is an outlier. It’s a police city IMO. Rusty, your description of NY in the Phil applies to the Phil, except DVO w/c I only learned now. The govt–national or local like City of Manila– has given up outlawing firecrackers. What they do is just educate people by way of ads. It has dramatically decreased NY accidents. & yes, we try to come up w/ 12-13 pcs of round fruits like one apple, one pear, etc w/c stays on display for days.
NY eve party is strictly family and community based. When I was in the Phil, I was fascinated in the poignant scene from Forrest Gump where Gary Sinise spent his countdown to NY inside a bar. I thought that was a great thing to celebrate NY as opposed to how I do i usually–slaving in the kitchen. Up to now, I still have yet to experience the independence of spending NY eve inside a bar.
Hey Roy,
Sorry so long to approve your message. I formatted my PC and forgot to add the email address back to my email client so I hadn’t downloaded any emails from the address that I get alerts from on this site.
I think most people like the way Davao is. I would not dis-agree with your assessment. Its nice to feel safe. I’m reluctant to say anything negative toward it. Its not the place for me to live though. Especially if I don’t quit smoking. I never smoke inside and I fear smoking on my front porch would mean a night in jail.
You better hope they don’t show up here. Protesters here can get a bit extreme. Heck they get extreme in the US at times. They harass hunters, that’s never seemed very smart to me.