Filipino 101

Being Filipino can mean a lot of things. We should start with some "traditions" of the Filipinos done in welcoming the new year.
As my mom would always have it, we will clean our house - from top to bottom, wall to wall, and not even a dust in the cupboards. The new year should be welcomed with a very clean house, for what reason, well, so it would be easy for good luck to come through.
After all the dusting, scrubbing, we then go to the market to buy some fresh "round" fruits - there should be 12. Buying grapes in 12 doesn't count, I don't think. As much as possible it should be 12 different round fruits. These they say brings good luck and good fortune (being round and all). I wonder if the plastic ones count, since they never spoil and you will have to dust them every now and then. I should ask my mom for that one.
As much as you can afford it, there should be a lot of food on the table. Our family would usually have the pork bbq(to which my brother is always in-charge), meat spaghetti, purple yam (specially made by my father), hot chocolate, ham and cheese. I think that is our usual menu for new year's eve. Food should comprise of some noodles (for long life), sweets for uhmm..the sweet tooth??, All I remember, there should be plenty so for the whole year you won't get hungry.
Then come midnight, if you want to grow taller, you should jump at the strike of 12. Obviously, I didn't jump high enough. Also, it's good to wear clothes with circles on it, round designs - for wealth. And put some coins in your pocket - so you won't have an empty one the whole year through. Why not put bills instead? It's much lighter.
On new year's eve, neighbors have to brag about what kind of fireworks they got - whoever has the loudest and the brightest - it is said to veer away evil spirits. Our dogs never appreciate those, why we have to keep them inside a closed room in the house.
I haven't experienced this New Year ritual for 5 years now and I think I'm beginning to miss it. Back home the streets are so much noisier, louder - that you get scared to go out of the house because you might get hit by loose firecrackers. Yeah, I miss those times.
Now, I just find myself cleaning the apartment (not that I don't do general cleaning every now and then), buying some round fruits (maybe not 12), wearing something with circles/round shapes on it (which for this year will be my pjs). Nope, I don't need to jump at the strike of midnight, but I will be cooking something sweet (how about a nice mocha fudge cake), a chicken bbq (if I'm up to it), and some spaghettini and a hot tea. I think that should do. And yeah, I will put some coins in my pocket - or bills perhaps?