Safe Ways Families Can Celebrate New Year’s Eve in the Philippines
New Year’s Eve is always fun to celebrate in the Philippines but let’s help families do so safely!
New Year’s Eve, although one of the events with the most merry-making in the year in the Philippines, is also the one where most kids and families end up in the Emergency Room: for burns and injuries from misusing fireworks! While some fireworks such as the large-sized Judas Belt, Giant Whistle Bombs, and a few others were banned last 2021, that doesn’t mean that the others are less riskier than those. So to keep the New Year’s Eve safe for this coming 2024, here are some ways to celebrate safely:
1. Stick to noisemakers!
Noise-makers are harmless since most of them are just trumpets or little toys that make crackling sounds similar to fireworks. All it takes is a little spinning and blowing which is a lot less risky than lighting up fireworks. This is especially for younger kids who might be enticed by the sparkling lights from the fireworks and may curiously put them in front of their faces!
2. Keep the fireworks small when possible.
The Philippines has had its share of house fires due to misfired fireworks, leading to the banning of the bigger ones. Keeping the fireworks within the garage or house allows them to contain the flames so they won’t hurt anyone else. There have been some cases wherein because not all the Judas Belt’s triangulos or poppers are triggered, it sometimes goes off right under a car’s gas tank. Now, that’s one firework we don’t want to see or be in the range of!
3. Watch the malls’ fireworks shows instead.
Although there is a rise of COVID-19 cases once again particularly in Quezon City as far as cities have announced, that won’t stop some malls from presenting their fireworks show. The best part is, that some of these light shows are so big that the family and kids can watch within the safety of their homes. Especially if the kids have asthma or any respiratory problems, they might appreciate the light show more than the smoke outside.
Mall of Asia usually holds fireworks shows and so does Enchanted Kingdom at a certain time, usually around 10 PM or so.
4. Hold A Dance Party
The high of New Year’s Eve in the Philippines doesn’t need to die when there are no fireworks. A dance party or a karaoke session is a favorite among Filipino families. If there’s a dire need for a light show then, there are LED light bars that can create the nightclub effect at home. Some homes, especially those that have light bulbs that they can control with the internet, can also change their light colors to suit the mood. After that, just plug in some speakers and start the music!
5. Boodle Fight or Feast at Home!
Filipinos love to eat, even more so on New Year’s Eve! Some people, what they do to have a quieter New Year’s Eve celebration, is they have quite a cook-off. Every family’s got that one family member who could have made it to Master Chef and we’re sure it’ll also get the blood pumping for many of our grandparents who would like to share their old recipes with the rest of the family!
6. Stargazing.
Although the fireworks may shine brighter than some of the stars, it’s still a wonderful night to welcome the starry night sky. A bit of stargazing or camping on the balcony to look at the night sky is a quiet and safe way to celebrate the new year. For the adults, they can even toast to it. And for the kids, they can have a tradition of making a wish at the start of the new year.
7. Make a memory box or scrapbook.
Cherish all the little things — both good and bad — in a scrapbook or memory box because, at the end of the year, it may be something to laugh at or forgive yourself for. The new year is all about keeping good and forgiving yourself and others for the bad. It’s a time of acceptance, knowing that we acted in a way because there was only limited information given to us at that time.
Celebrate New Year’s Eve Safely!
New Year’s Eve in the Philippines is a family celebration that’s always filled with the fun and hype of welcoming the new year. But we’d like to do so safely; a third-degree burn or a missing finger isn’t a fun way to remember ending 2023 and starting 2024. Besides, the launching of fireworks is a superstitious practice to scare away all the bad luck and attract all the good juju to help us heal from our mistakes. But with all the noise pollution policies and also sometimes a mysterious bug running around, we need to get creative to keep them safe during New Year’s Eve.
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