> Chinese
New Year
The Chinese New Year celebration in Naga City kicked off with a
bang when the St. Joseph School Alumni Association (SJSAA)
sponsored a Dinner Show on January 29, 2006 (Sunday) at the SJS
Campus.
The more than 2,000 alumni and guests were regaled by delightful
Chinese cultural presentations by SJS students after a satiating
supper. It started with the Well-Wisher’s dance, followed by the
fascinating Rooster’s Egress and the Fire Dog’s Entrance to
symbolize the exit of the year of the Rooster, and the
commencement of the year of the Fire Dog.
However, the well-applauded Dragon Dance was stupendous. The
amazing and well-crafted “dragon” and its accessories which were
imported from China, made their swirling and monumental movements
through rehearsed steps and leaps of the young and energetic
performers! This was followed by the Cherling/Tops Exhibitions,
and ended with the graceful Spring Festival Dance performed by
lovely and handsome Chinese-looking performers in their colorful
and beautiful costumes, and lighted Chinese lanterns. A Chinese
priest and a contingent of nuns from Taiwan enjoyed the night
together with the older priests of St. Joseph School, faculty,
parents, students, and guests.
The main event of the evening was the most-awaited Ricci Magic
Show which lasted for more than an hour. The tricky magician
repeatedly awed the young and the grown-up audience who were
mostly clad in red. The famous magician and his assistants came
all the way from Manila to entertain one of the biggest Chinese
New Year gathering in the city. In fact the organizers were so
overwhelmed by the attendance, as tickets immediately run out to
accommodate more interested guests.
To cap the evening was the enthralling Fireworks Display amidst
the clear and peaceful evening sky that augured well for the lunar
new year. Shin Nyan Kwai Loh! (Happy New Year to All!)
***
While most of the world make use of the Gregorian calendar, the
Chinese follow their own much older lunar calendar. The Gregorian
calendar is based on a solar year with about 365 days, the time it
takes the planer earth to orbit around the sun. On the other hand,
the Chinese calendar has months based on lunar cycles, with the
first day of each month corresponding to the new moon, and the
15th to the full moon.
According to Prof. Michael L.Tan of the University of the
Philippines, “The months being based on the lunar cycles have
seasonal markers which are based on the solar year. Thus, lichum,
or the start of the spring, falls each year on February 4, which
corresponds to different dates each year. Because the solar cycles
are also important, the Chinese had to find ways to adjust the
discrepancies between the length of the solar and lunar years. If
we have leap years in the Gregorian calendar every four years, the
Chinese add an entire month-what’s called an intercalary month-
every two or three years. That means you will have years where
there are actually 13 months!
“The synchronization is complicated, but it works, so much so that
every 19 years or so, the Chinese lunar calendar will have an
almost perfect correspondence with the Gregorian calendar.”
(Philippine Daily Inquirer, January 27, 2006)
Each Chinese calendar year is named after a certain animal, in
cycles of 12. Legend tells us that when Buddha asked for the
animals to come, they arrived in sequence. That is why after the
year of the Rooster follows the year of the Dog, to be followed by
the pig, rat, ox, tiger, rabbit, dragon, snake, horse, sheep, and
monkey. Each animal comes up every 12 years, but with a different
designation based on the five elements: water, wood, fire, metal
(or gold) and earth. So, while we have the Year of the Fire Dog
now, 12 years hence it will be the Gold Dog.
***
If you would notice, there is an upsurge of interest for anything
Chinese in the world today. Just look at the billions of dollars
of direct foreign investments pouring in to China, and the influx
of millions of tourists every year.
The Philippines is not an exemption if we look at the following
indicators: increase patronage of Chinese telenovelas, music
bands, and movies; increase popularity of Chinese foods and its
outlets, (e.g. Chowking,etc); tremendous demand for the cheaper
“Made in China” products; increasing number of Filipinos seeking
gainful employment in China, Taiwan, Hong Kong and Macau; growing
interest in the study of Mandarin language (Putong Hua),
Tai-Chi-Chuan, Wu-shu, Chinese calligraphy and history among
others.
That is why even the Chinese New Year and all its nuances have
been faithfully observed by a lot of Filipinos today. This
includes the wearing of red clothes, Feng Shui ( necromancy)
readings, giving of ang paos (money or valuables put in a small
red envelope), tikoy (a sticky glutinous delicacy), gathering of
fruits like Ponkan oranges, pineapples, good luck charms, eating
of noodles for longevity, etc.. Of course many Chinese traditions
and customs have long been adopted and are very much ingrained
into the Filipino culture even before the Spanish colonizers came
to the Philippines. Today, only a few Filipinos can truly say that
they do not have an iota of Chinese blood in their veins, when no
less than the veneered national hero Dr. Jose Rizal is of Chinese
descent!
Although I enjoyed the excitement and novelty brought by the
Chinese lunar new year celebration, I don’t allow the beliefs and
practices to rule and control my life. Especially so, that it
contradicts my Christian faith.
A friend from United Kingdom emailed yesterday: The Year of the
FIRE DOG would be the year that the Philippines will “go to the
DOGS”, if the Filipinos would fail to FIRE out of office their
“lying, cheating, and stealing” leaders.
