To Be or Not To Be Happy this New Year’s Eve?

It is our family tradition to welcome the New Year with a blast. I can’t forget the old days when I was small, my mom used to be busy days prior to New Year’s eve, buying and searching for 12 round fruits to represent the abundance for 12 months in the coming year. That’s her tradition that have somehow etched through my veins,  after all these years seeing that my mom is still clinging to that tradition. Apart from that, there are still countless superstitions that my mom observe every welcoming of the new year. There’s really nothing wrong with observing these kind of superstitious as we only want to believe in the promising and bountiful years to come. Part of it is being happy as the first day of the new year breaks. That’s why when the clock hits 12 MN, the joy and spirit of happiness through our cheers and smiles always envelopes the house entirety.

Everyone of us want to be happy in our own little ways. And now that I have a family of my own, I am also observing the same tradition that my mom practiced. I am grateful that even if I don’t have so much of everything, I still have the reason to be happy for the New Year. The whole family celebrates together, except for members who can’t be home because of conflicting work schedule. Oftentimes, my eldest brother is the one that’s absent during the new year’s eve as he is working in a hospitality firm. My other brother, always got the chance to celebrate with us as he is still single and don’t have a family of his own to celebrate with,yet. Experiencing the same childhood full of superstition, he also somehow carried with him the tradition. He is also fond of bringing fruits, wine, “queso de bola” and everything delicious to occupy the whole table on new year’s eve.

Two days more left to go before embracing, wishing and expecting for another prosperous year to come. By now, I should have the picture of a perfect new year’s eve scenario. I should be preparing for another blast on our new year’s eve celebration. But some guilt feeling is overshadowing me. I can still recall the part of the world where people are not sufficient enough and don’t have abundance in life. I wonder how they would welcome the new year. Compared to my usual feeling of happiness for seeing our table overflowing with abundance, I can’t imagine how their table would even look like. Not to mention, my fellow Filipinos in the nearby island of Leyte who were devastated by super typhoon Haiyan. (Yolanda)

I am also imagining the indigent community where I got the chance to participate in an outreach program. I wonder if how much happier they could be if only they could have plenty of food on their table to celebrate with. The impact of that outreach program really hit my ego. Wish I can have them here in my own home. That’s why I am a bit guilty and worried because  as the new year’s eve is fast approaching, I am still unable to cope up with the feeling of empathy I have for those indigent people.

This was our last year’s preparation for the new year celebration. With my hubby, kids and my superstitious mom.

This is one of the households in the indigent community where we conducted outreach program. Thanks Ronald Marzon for the photo.

Since this community is located in a mountainous area, one of the industries here is farming where they mainly get their food to eat. Scattered on the floor are corn kernels which are then grounded in that traditional stonehenge grinder producing corn grits as their staple food. (Thanks Ronald Marzon for the image.)

Wish I could have these kids in my own home this coming new year celebration. (Thanks Ronald Marzon for the photo)

• Posted in: Life's View ♦ Noteworthy
• Tagged: Blogging, community outreach, life, New Year celebration, New Year's Eve, outreach program, superstition