Bawal ‘Yan: The Weirdest Pinoy New Year Superstitions

We Filipinos are pretty superstitious, and most of us would bend over backwards to make sure that we welcome our New Year’s Eve right to ensure good fortune for the coming year. Some of our most practiced ones are making noises, preparing a dozen round fruits and wearing red outfits to welcome the first day of the year.

However, there are some New Year superstitions that are just too ridiculous or flat out weird.

Don’t prepare ‘insert kind of dish here’ for Media Noche

We got a lot of variations for this one, which makes our moms extra meticulous when prepping for Media Noche.

For example, you’re not supposed to prepare any chicken or fish dish because they’re associated with scarcity. And you shouldn’t prepare meat from four-legged animals because graces will run away from you. You also shouldn’t bring out fruits with black seeds because they’re bad luck.

Don’t flip the fish

If you decided to be brave and serve a whole fish for Media Noche, you have another precaution to follow: you’re not allowed to flip it after you eat one side.

Your dog shouldn’t bark during the first minute of the year

Basing some of events on the behavior of our pets is common in the Filipino superstition. However, believing that your dog’s bark brings in bad luck is a stretch, don’t you think?

Besides, we all know our puppers should be kept inside our homes to keep them away from the noise of firecrackers. And if they aren’t you can’t blame them for barking.

Count paper bills by the door

They say doing so will attract more fortune into your homes. However, we can bet that this will also attract unwanted attention.

Sprinkle salt in your home

Believed to ward off bad energy or spirits inside your home, this practice is often accompanied by the practice of tossing coins around the house. However, the mess it will leave behind is not going to be easy to ward off.

Don’t clean anything

Apparently, New Year is also the time to excuse messiness. They say it’s bad luck to clean up as you might wash off or sweep away the good luck that entered your home.

Have a very round grape in your mouth at the stroke of midnight

So, I suppose we’ll be spending the first minute of the new year chewing a grape?

Don’t take anything out of the house

The only good thing about this is we’ll have an excuse not to entertain that one neighbor who keeps on asking for sugar.

What other New Year superstitions do you find weird? Tell us below!