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Chinese New Year Traditions Families Follow in the Philippines and Why

by Kevyn Gohu
February 1, 2024

Here are some of the interesting Chinese New Traditions families follow in the Philippines and why they follow them!

Chinese New Year, like all holidays in the Philippines, has its own set of traditions and beliefs that have been passed from generation to generation. Some well-known ones include jumping as high as we can in hopes of getting taller. But there are less familiar traditions, like eating grapes while under the table—which take inspiration from Spanish beliefs.

From knowing what goes on the table to even the practices themselves, here are some of the Chinese New Year traditions that families in the Philippines follow and why they do so.

6 Chinese New Year traditions for the family

1. Paying one’s debts before Chinese New Year

The Chinese believe that paying off one’s debts before the Chinese New Year signals a better financial year to come. Debts often attract bad luck and it also makes people more prone to pyramiding—a scheme wherein they make promises to pay back but never do until the debt gets too big.

Some even pay their debts with old bills, believing that having new bills will attract more luck.

2. Eating certain Chinese dishes

Birthday noodles, pancit bihon, or bam-i are common noodle dishes that families eat at a Chinese New Year family gathering (or lauriats) in the Philippines to wish “long lives”—for themselves and everyone. Steamed fish is another must-have because the Chinese word for fish (魚 yú) sounds just like 餘 yú, which means “surplus,” or prosperity.

More uncommon ones like oysters in the form of oyster cake (or o-chien) are also a favorite among some Chinese families in the Philippines since they signify receptivity to good fortune and good business.

3. The Dragon or Lion Dance

In Chinese culture, both the dragon and the lion are considered Heaven’s guardians who bring prosperity and fortune. Accompanied by a drum ensemble, performers gather on the streets of Binondo, Banawe, and even in the halls of malls owned by Chinese families to do the dragon or lion dance to attract prosperity. The loud drums, along with some fireworks now and then, scare away the bad luck.

Take note, however, that the dragon dance is different from the lion dance. While the lion dance has a pair of lions, which usually needs at least 5 people who have the athletic ability to perform, the dragon dance needs a minimum of 10 people to perform.

4. Burning incense for the ancestors

The virtue of gratitude is strong in Chinese families, even more so for those whose roots come from immigrants during Mao Ze Dong’s time. Some Chinese families in the Philippines visit Buddhist temples on Chinese New Year to thank their ancestors for protecting them all year round.

5. Spring cleaning

Sweeping out the dust and clearing out the clutter of one’s home during Chinese New Year symbolizes letting go of grudges, issues, and bad juju that the house has accumulated over time. While some Chinese families have a large staff of household do the spring cleaning, others either hire stay out help or have the kids clean out their rooms.

What’s more, families take the chance to rearrange the furniture in accordance with the feng shui predictions for the year.

6. Eating tikoy or nian gao

Tikoy, also known as nian gao (lit. annual cake), is a must for Chinese New Year and they’re usually sold in grocery stores all around the Philippines. Its sticky texture comes from it being made from glutinous rice flour, water, and sugar, supposedly making sure the wishes for fortune stick around for the whole year. Plus, it could be likened to having strong family ties!

While well-known flavors include the classic brown or white sugar variants, they now come in interesting flavors like ube or pandan.

How Chinese New Year traditions came to the Philippines

These traditions accompanied the Chinese when they traded with the Filipinos or when they migrated to the Philippines to escape. However, some may notice that these Chinese New Year traditions may have different terms because it depends on which province the family came from.

Some families may be more fluent in Mandarin if they come from Central China whereas Hokkien-speaking families usually descend from those living in Fujian province. But the most important part about Chinese New Year in the Philippines is that it’s a family affair that brings all generations together.