The Yuan Thong Temple along Burgos Street in Bacolod City is preparing for the upcoming Lunar New Year celebration and the Bacolaodiat Festival, with activities scheduled from Jan. 28 to 29 to welcome the Year of the Wood Snake.
The temple’s Chinese New Year’s Eve celebration will begin at 5 p.m. Jan. 28 with incense and light offerings, lion dances, and stage performances, and will culminate in the midnight bell-ringing ceremony for blessings, festival organizer Bacolaodiat Inc. said in a press release Jan. 27.
The celebration continues on Jan. 29, from 10 a.m. to 10 p.m., with the temple opening its gates to everyone for a day of incense and light offerings and prayers for prosperity and good fortune.
The temple will remain open until Feb. 2 and is inviting everyone to experience the colorful traditions of the Lunar New Year.
Also known as the Spring Festival, it is a major traditional holiday in China and East Asia, marking the start of the lunar calendar year and typically lasting 15 days, until the Lantern Festival.
A time for family reunions, the festival sees many people returning home to celebrate with loved ones, engaging in activities like cleaning the house, putting up spring couplets, and giving red envelopes to children.
Food plays a central role in the festivities, with traditional dishes like dumplings, rice cakes, and fish, symbolizing abundance and good fortune, prepared and shared among families.
As 2025 ushers in the Year of the Wood Snake, the celebrations at Yuan Thong Temple promise to reflect the themes of wisdom, transformation, and renewal, uniting the community in joy and tradition, the organizer said. ||
