NEW Year’s eve is just around the corner. And what a better way to welcome the year is to serve 12 different kinds of fruits and other food for luck and prosperity.
Master Hanz Cua, Asia’s trusted feng shui master, said that the 12 lucky fruits in welcoming the new year are apple, orange, banana, watermelon, papaya, melon, pear, kiat-kiat, grapes, pineapple, mango and lemon or calamansi.
“The luckiest fruit of them all is the pineapple which in Chinese means wealth will come. But you should not display the pineapple.There should be 12 fruits on the table on new year’s eve,” said Cua, who regularly appears on the ABS-CBN morning show “Umagang Kay Ganda,” in an exclusive interview in Mandaluyong City Saturday.
The 12 fruits symbolize the 12 months in one year. In Chinese, apple means harmony; orange, success; banana, harmony; watermelon, symbolizes round money; papaya, good health; melon, round for money; pear, good health; kiat-kiat, more money; grapes, abundance; pineapple, success; mango, color of money; and lemon, removes bad luck.
Cua also said that we may serve noodles/spaghetti dishes which symbolize long life; fish, savings; lechon, prosperity; pechay, continued good fortune; cake, harmony; and peanut and seeds, fertility.
“Wear red in welcoming the new year because it symbolizes luck and wealth,” he said. “Make some noise to rid the place of evil spirits or bad luck; declutter your house or apartment; make sure the rice, sugar, salt containers are full.
Cua also encouraged the people to open all the lights in welcoming 2019, hang lucky charms, put money in your cash box, and make amends with your enemies.
The new year’s day celebration of the eve of Dec. 31 is different from the revelry practiced by Asians for Chinese New Year.
“If you have already celebrated new year’s eve on Dec. 31, it’s okay not to celebrate anymore the Chinese new year. But you can celebrate both if you wish to,” Cua added.
In 2019, the Chinese new year ushers in with Year of the Pig on Feb. 5, based on Chinese 12-year animal zodiac cycle. It will end on Feb. 19, 2020. (ROBERT R. REQUINTINA)
