With the Chinese New Year expectedly going to be done in grand fashion on February 10, coming close on the heels of the veneration of the Santo Nino in many parts of the country last month, the juxtaposition of these seemingly unrelated celebrations and their significance is quite noteworthy for many Filipinos.
It is a tribute to the piety accorded by us to a divine, more immense, and awesome power by a Most High Who can discern everything, as well as a fatalistic attempt at luck and charm the whole year through which, to the credit of the Chinese, is practiced to a great extent by many non-Chinese Filipinos.
The holiday that is the Chinese New Year this year and, henceforth, has been declared in the past 11 years. The influence of the Chinese in our lives has never been more emphasized today and in the past years. If we go by strength in numbers, the Chinese can very easily rule the world (and this is already being felt today) because out of the world population of six billion, two billion are Chinese.
In business circles and in many industries, including construction and real estate, Chinese feng shui experts have been included in the payroll for consultations before any transaction is given the go-signal. And, why do many Filipinos staunchly follow the buying of 12 (or is it 13?) different varieties of round fruits for the New Year? Or, how can you explain the penchant of having sweet, glutinous tikoy to be partaken by all members of the family at the strike of the New Year?
I never put my handbag on the floor because it would cause you to have unstable finances, as the Chinese would tell us. Because my mother has a small, yet significant pint of Chinese blood, we were brought up never to commit the blunder of eating chicken on New Year’s Day lest you will experience a life of “isang kahig, isang tuka.”
As in most traditions, I have passed this on to our children who have learned to appreciate this reminder, especially today when they are all working professionals. And, you must have heard of the belief that you have to avoid spending money unnecessarily on New Year’s Day because you will always be scarce of money all throughout the year.
Another tip is not to put your credit cards and ATM cards altogether (I do this essentially to ward off the misfortune of having them carted away by pickpockets, just in case, heaven forbid), something our son told me recently, because it would mean your money will all go to the payment of your credit card bills. That seems logical.
As the Chinese lunar calendar says, the Year of the Wood Dragon would start officially on February 10 and ends with the Lantern Festival on February 24. The dragon is a ubiquitous symbol in greeting the new year for the Chinese. Not only is it believed to drive away misfortune and evil spirits (thus, the omnipresent dragon dance together with fireworks), it is also representative of Chinese culture.
Historically, the dragon is also the symbol of the Emperor of China.
In Hong Kong, which is now back in China’s jurisdiction after a century of being a colony of Great Britain, the dragon is used in the design of Brand Hong Kong to promote Hong Kong as an international brand.
The Chinese are also often referred to as descendants of the dragon, a trend started in the 1970s where animal symbols were used for ethnic identity. This is reminiscent of the wolf symbolizing the Mongols, the monkey for Tibetans, and the carabao for Filipinos and the Philippines. The dragon, despite its aggressive nature, is also described as benevolent, thus, those born in the Year of the Dragon are said to be successful and generous.
Be that as it may, geomancy or not, it is us who ultimately creates our destiny and fortune through perseverance and by the grace of God. | NWI