On February 16, 2018 (Friday), our Filipino-Chinese friends will be celebrating the Chinese New Year, which is also known as the Lunar New Year. For the Filipino-Chinese community, this is a rather big celebration, with family reunion dinners as the main highlight.
So what does the Chinese New Year really mean to the Filipino-Chinese community? For starters, there’s the spring cleaning tradition. The whole family pitches in to make sure the house is clean and free of the "bad elements" of the past year. Bed sheets are replaced, and some families even opt to decorate their houses in red and gold colors (colors that bring success). Lanterns are hung and you will sometimes see a cluster of food offerings for their ancestors displayed inside the house.
Some Filipino-Chinese communities also display dazzling fireworks when the clock strikes midnight on Chinese New Year. Wealthier families would join in cultural activities like horse back riding, and calligraphy among others. The most popular activity is writing our year’s wishes on a wishing tree where FGS monastics would pray over them throughout the year.
Malls and other establishments will usually be decorated with red and gold auspicious colors. Oranges will be displayed and given out too.
Of course, what is Chinese New Year without a dragon dance? Chinese New Year celebrations, also known as the Spring Festival, in China start on the 23rd day of the 12th lunar month of the Chinese calendar. The festival lasts for about 23 days, ending on the 15th day of the first lunar month in the following year in the Chinese calendar.