Chinese culture has been embedded into Filipino culture for as long as we can remember that even pure Pinoys have come to love Chinese food and products, movies, and even believe in Chinese Horoscope and participate in the celebration of the Chinese New Year.
Coming from a family with Chinese blood, I grew up eating hopia, pancit, lumpiang shanghai, tikoy and siopao; watched movies of Bruce Lee and Jackie Chan, and the Chinese movies that were shown on Sunday mornings (where the actors are in full Chinese costume); and frequented Chinatown in Binondo. To prepare for Chinese New Year, we always bought tikoy and a variety of sweet, round fruits every Chinese New Year; collected 88 pieces of coins; prepared gold coin chocolates and other candies; and eagerly awaited the horoscope forecasts for the coming year.
This year was different as we celebrated it outside of home for the first time -- we spent Chinese New Year's Eve and the next couple of hours into the new year at Manila Hotel for the "Welcome the Year of the Water Dragon" event featuring Predictions and Forecasts for 2012 by international Feng Shui Expert Marites Allen.
At 9:30 pm, the event started with cocktails at the Manila Hotel lobby where a short programme took place showcasing Chinese dance and Wu Shu exhibition; a short talk by Marites Allen; the traditional Lion Dance and Dragon Dance; the dotting of the Lion's eyes for good luck by Marites Allen and guest VIPs led by Manila mayor Alfredo Lim and Manila Hotel president Joey Lina. The event, hosted by Boy Abunda, also had a Chinese New Year bazaar that offered various Chinese products, including lucky charms and horoscope books.
By 11:45 pm, everyone was led out onto the hotel driveway for the new year wish balloon ritual -- we were instructed to write our specific wishes on a balloon that we will release together at the strike of midnight, sort of a representation of sending our wishes/prayers to heaven. The dark sky was then illuminated by bright and colorful fireworks originating from the Chinese New Year countdown at the Quirino Grandstand.
At past 12 midnight, the last activity for the evening (rather, wee hours of the morning) was the Auspicious Meal and Lucky Forecasts by Marites Allen. The meal started with the assembly of the traditional Prosperity Salad on each table, where the head tasked to facilitate was the oldest in the group -- for our table, it was my mom. Each ingredient followed a sequence in the assembly and once complete, everyone in the table joined in the salad tossing to partake of the 'good luck.' The food prepared by Manila Hotel at the Centennial Hall were really delicious and overflowing that even when the celebration ended, the buffet table was still teeming with goodies.
This was a new and nice experience for me and for us as a family, and we believe that with prayers, hard work and good karma, the Year of the Dragon will be good to us. KUNG HEI FAT CHOI!