Tags: Public Holidays and Celebration
By Anna Valmero
MANILA CITY,METRO MANILA—They say it is an auspicious practice to celebrate the Chinese New Year so I went to Binondo to have my first-hand experience of the event.
I was welcomed by the sight of thousands of Filipino-Chinese in Manila’s Chinatown who welcomed the Year of the Water Dragon with day-long festivities – lively dragon and lion dances, overflowing oriental dishes and sales of lucky charms, tikoy and round fruits along Ongpin street.
“The streets of Binondo are at its busiest during the Chinese New Year. Pinoys join the Fil-Chinese community to witness the celebration which is even more special because it is the dragon year,” says Gerry Chua, owner and manager of Eng Bee Tin.
The dragon symbolizes power, prosperity and good fortune – and is the only mythical creature of the 12 animals in the Chinese zodiac.
Due to their big respect for the creature, the Chinese even referred to themselves as “descendants of the dragon” so this New Year is one of the liveliest and grandest celebrated by the Chinese community.
True enough, Ongpin street came into life with throngs of people clad in traditional Chinese attire and red shirts walking around – some even wearing red underwear to attract luck better.
Pinoys and Fil-Chinese alike celebrate the event by lighting incense sticks to offer prayers at temples, scoring lucky charms from merchants and haggling when buying persimmons, kiwi fruit, oranges, ponkan, gabi root crops in the shape of stars (with red ribbons for luck) and pineapples.
From 6 a.m. until late in the afternoon, the influx of people to Binondo was nonstop. Merchants, mostly selling Chinese jade and other lucky stones as well as dragon-inspired decorations, lined up the street from the Chinatown arch facing the Santa Cruz Parish all the way to the historic Binondo Church.
Each merchant attending to the queries of the customers, mostly Pinoys, offer their stones and charms for P50 for bracelets to P100 or more for dragon figurines. Others offer small dragon decorations for as low as P20 each.
Across the street, I was greeted by the sound of drums, gongs and bronze cymbals of the dragon and lion youth dancers. Today, the iconic dances are viewed as a form of entertainment but oral historical accounts from the Chinese point to its spiritual significance honor the Dragon King and “to drive away evil spirits and attract good fortune,” says Gerry.
To me, there could be no better music to accompany the Chinese New Year festivities than the reverberating sound of the drums because it makes your heart thump faster, setting the perfect mood for the celebration with trance-like, lively and strong music.
The boisterous dances lifted the spirits of every spectator, who, amid the heat of the high noon sun, stayed to watch and take pictures of the performances. It was a bit difficult to get a good shot if you’re among a crowd and all of you are taking aim at the dances.
Those who wanted to rest from the revelry chose to enter noodle houses to sample some dumpling and noodle soup. Noodles are thought to symbolize long life while dumplings made of meat and vegetable are bestsellers in noodle shops because they mean wealth (since the sound of vegetable is close to money in Chinese language and its crescent moon shape means a wish for abundance.)
Sales of tikoy in Chinese supermarkets are also well as long lines of people lined up to buy the tasty treat.
After eating meat balls and beef wanton noodles, I again joined the streets to witness the dragon parade. People are all smiles to see the dragon lifted in poles by at least 20 males from Binondo plaza (near Binondo church) all the way to the welcome arch in Chinatown in front of Carriedo fountain.
Part of the show is the 15-minute explosion of firecrackers at every stop of the dragon dance. You cannot expect any less since the Chinese invented firecrackers and fireworks.
Of all the colors and symbols that Chinese attach to different charms and fruits as they welcome the New Year, Gerry tells me the event was about the gathering of family and friends in hopes that they will spend another good year together.
Similar to Filipinos who observe their own set of traditions during New Year’s Eve, he says putting lucky charms on the table and offering thanks to temple gods also show the deep spirituality of the Chinese.
“These are the traditions that elders pass on to the younger generation: to preserve values of unity among the family, hard work in business and respect for customs to help the race flourish wherever they may be.”
Related stories:
‘Feng shui’ characterizes positive attitude of Fil-Chinese in Binondo
Why eating ‘tikoy’ brings luck during Chinese New Year
How to enjoy your trip to Binondo this Chinese New Year
How to attract good fortune this Chinese New Year
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