Noisy, colorful welcoming of Chinese New Year

Amid a grand and loud celebration that would make one forget he is not in China, Chinese and Filipinos welcomed the Chinese New Year on February 3. In Binondo, Manila, home to a large Chinese-Filipino community, several groups performed the dragon dance, where dancers weave through the crowd to the beat of drums and other noisemakers, which according to Chinese belief, can drive away bad spirits. The longest dragon dance was performed in Plaza Lorenzo, where about 100 people participated. At the Quirino Grandstand, more than 3,000 people joined in festivities that began on February 2, the eve of the Chinese New Year. In Chinatown, Manila, around 500 cops had to be deployed ensure the safety of the revelers. Students from Filipino-Chinese schools performed the traditional lotus dance, Chinese martial arts and of course, the lion and dragon dance. People mostly wore red outfits, as the Chinese believe the color can ward off evil. According to a myth, a mythical beast, Nian, would attack the villagers on the first day of the new year. The myth tells of how villagers would offer food to keep the Nian from attacking people, until they discovered the beast becomes afraid when it sees a child wearing a red outfit. Today, people hang red lanterns and scrolls on their windows and doors, in the hope of scaring off the Nian. Although the Chinese New Year is not an official holiday, the Department of Tourism (DOT) helped organize the grand celebration to showcase China's culture, which enriches our own. Last week, the DOT launched the 1st Metro Manila Lion Dance Competition as a prelude to the New Year revelry. "Filipino-Chinese have given a lot to the country not only in trade and business but also in defending the country against invaders," said DOT secretary Alberto Lim. Even commercial establishments and hotels join in the celebration of the Chinese New Year. This year's display at the Makati Shangri-la Hotel features a giant rabbit made out of flowers.
Chinese New Year rituals Apart from the public celebration, the Chinese practice a number of rituals to welcome the new year, including thoroughly cleaning their homes to wash away the preceding year's dirt, and to make way for good luck. Traditional Chinese New Year's Eve dinner includes a dish of fish, which symbolizes abundance, and dumplings which symbolize wealth. For business owners, the Chinese New Year is very lucky, even days before the holiday. Chinese and Filipinos alike purchase sweet sticky tikoy, and lucky charms that are supposed to attract good fortune. Especially popular is the five-in-one charm which supposedly brings the bearer success, love, happiness, wealth and prosperity. Fruits are also popular purchases, as they symbolize abundance. This year, rabbit figurines are very popular, as 2011 is the year of the metal rabbit.
However, Chinese Ambassador Liu Jianchao says people should not be so superstitious. "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," he said. The number of Chinese nationals living in the country went up to 61,372 in 2010 from just 30,809 in 2009. 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 said in an earlier report. – VVP, GMANews.TV