13 fruit for New Years Eve to bring them good luck and happiness in the year. Let’s take a look at the names of these fruits and how they are eaten. For some uncertain reason, a lot of people associate New Year’s Eve with fruit. Apparently, many celebrations involve apples and oranges, so the image of fruit is usually connected to the typical New Year’s Eve celebration. It just doesn’t make sense, does it? I mean, would you eat fruit in non-holiday circumstances as well for enjoyable pastime or simply for sugary content? I wouldn’t.
13 Fruits For New Years Eve
We all could use a little luck in the coming new year. Now, you don’t have to participate in any strange rituals in order for Lady Luck to be on your side in 2022. Eating a few lucky fruits or simply displaying them around your home many believe will do the trick.
Round fruits are said to symbolize money. For New Year’s Eve, many countries including the Philippines, place 12 lucky fruits (sometimes 13) in the home to bring luck and prosperity in the New Year. Others culture believe that you can place these fruits in your home, each month in 2022, to bring about health, happiness and prosperity
Lucky Fruits for New Years
January: Pineapples
The Chinese word for pineapple is “ong-lai,” which means “fortune cones”. Pineapples are also popular symbols in feng shui as they symbolize prosperity and wealth.
February: Oranges
The round shape represents coins. The color represents gold in Chinese tradition. Oranges are also chalked with Vitamin C. By eating them regularly this year, you can up your chances of having good health.
March: Apples
The Chinese word for apple is “ping,” which means “harmony”. There are several different varieties of apples to choose from so which one do you pick? If you are wanting good luck, choose red apples. If money is what you are after, display green ones. You also can’t go wrong with having red AND green apples in your home.
April: Grapes
This fruit represents luxury as these were traditionally eaten by royalty. They are often the fruit of choice in the Philippines to display on New Year’s Eve. They also act as a nice centerpiece to the dining room table.
May: Bananas
Since this fruit comes in clusters, they symbolize unity. Their yellow color also stands for happiness. Bananas are cheap so they are easy to replace once they start to turn brown.
June: Mangos
The sweetness of this fruit signifies strong family ties. Mangos are also very healthy and can easily be added to drinks or foods without overpowering them.
July: Lemons
The fragrance and essence of lemons is known to cleanse and remove negative vibes. The bright color of this fruit can add a pop of color to any room which makes them a great lucky fruit to display around your household.
Is It 13 Fruits Or 12 Fruits On New Year’s Eve?
It is already a well known to everyone that number 13 is a number of the Devil, and 13 is not applicable to any lucky fortune or any kind similar to it.
Number 13 refers to the 13th floor to where a murder just happened there
Number 13 refers to the 13th ghosts that according to legend, of all the ghosts, that 13th are the worst of them all
Number 13 refers to the 13th creature and that is a Mantis, due to late, never enters heaven, a race on the 12 Animal Chinese Zodiac Signs
Number 13 refers to the
Omen Day and that is month of May Friday the 13th
While….
Number 12 refers to the 12 Days of Christmas
Number 12 refers to the 12 Commandments of God
Number 12 refers to the 12 Disciples of Christ
Number 12 refers to the 12 Months of a Year
Number 12 refers to the 12 Hours in a day and 12 Hours in a night time
Number
12 refers to the 12 Meridians of the Acupuncture Points on a human body
Number 12 refers to the 12 Chinese Animal Zodiac Signs
Number 12 refers to the 12 Astrological Signs
Number 12 refers to the 1 Dozen Offer when it comes to Business Deals
Lucky numbers that the Chinese frequently used such as 1, 3, 5, 7, 8, 10, 12, 18, 36, 72, 108….
Is there any 13 ever mention?
Never….
Choices of foods to serve on the New Year’s Eve that I know, some are lucky and some are bad luck:
Pancit – long life
Tikoy – luck opportunity may stick to us and brings wealth throughout the whole year
Don’t serve Pig as the luck opportunity may run away
Don’t serve Fish as the luck opportunity may drown to the bottom pit
Don’t serve Ice Cream as the luck opportunity may only melt
And don’t serve 13 Fruits, just only 12.
What’s the meaning behind buying 12 round fruits for New Year?
It is a yearly tradition for Filipinos to buy 12 different round fruits for New Year, but what really is the meaning behind it?
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In an “Unang Hirit” episode, Feng Shui expert Master Ang said it is believed that round food symbolize money, and thus can bring you luck in the coming year.
Making sure that there’s a dozen, meanwhile, is a sign of completeness since there are 12 months in one year. However, he said, having fewer than 12 fruits is also okay.
Among the most common round fruits that are sold non-stop when New Year comes are apples for peace and harmony, grapes for money, pineapples for good fortune, and oranges for the gift of gold.
Round fruits for the New Year
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A fruit stall at the Balintawak Market in Quezon City is bursting with colorful round fruit on
Round fruits for the New Year
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Shoppers wearing face masks pick through round fruit at the Balintawak Market in Quezon City on
Round fruits for the New Year
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A shipment of pineapples is seen at the Balintawak Market in Quezon City on
Round fruits for the New Year
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Fuji apples are seen at the Balintawak Market in Quezon City on
Round fruits for the New Year
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Oranges are seen at the Balintawak Market in Quezon City on
Round fruits for the New Year
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Melons are seen at the Balintawak Market in Quezon City on
18 Round Fruits For Your New Year Tradition
No need to stress out about which fruits will go to your table this New Year! We’ve rounded up 18 round fruits sold in the Philippines that you can choose from for your Media Noche tradition!
The New Year has always called for a huge celebration, as it marks a new beginning for everybody. But before the huge festivities, comes the effort of going to the market and preparing what will be served on the Media Noche table.
Along with this is the withstanding New Year tradition of having a bowl of round fruits on the table, as such is said to bring good luck. While some people do it twelve and others thirteen, it has always been a task to complete these numbers searching the market for possible fruits to display.
To make your fruit-picking easier, we’ve rounded up 18 round fruits you can choose from for your New Year tradition!
1. Pineapple
The pineapple is a tropical plant making it a common choice among Filipinos when it comes to the New Year fruit bowl. With a gold-like color from inside out and a crown-like top, the pineapple is truly an eye-catcher when placed with the other fruits in the bowl.
2. Orange
With its vibrant color, the orange is one of the fruits that would make your fruit bowl pop out. According to feng shui, the fruit is also said to signify wealth and good luck. In fact, one of the popular ornaments for feng shui is the 8 Orange Tree, a small plant-like decoration with eight hanging oranges, believed to bring prosperity to one’s home.
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3. Apple
For fruit-lovers, a red apple is always a welcoming sight. Often signifying health, this fruit doesn’t only keep the doctor away, it is also an ideal round fruit to add on your Media Noche table list as it also represents wisdom.
4. Grapes
Grapes are said to bring abundance to one’s home and it is not that hard to see why, as this fruit grows on vines as a cluster or bunch of 15 or so. It has differing colors like crimson, black, dark blue, yellow, green, orange, and purple.
5. Watermelon
A full-grown watermelon, of course, would take up too much space on the table and so it is common to Filipinos who live up to the fruit bowl tradition to buy the small ones called the sugar baby watermelons. It has a dark green rind with a less intense flavor compared to the big ones.
6. Melon
The popular type of melon we usually see is called the cantaloupe, with a pale greenish rind and a bright orange color inside. With its very round shape, it definitely gets into the criteria for your Media Noche table plus this sweet treat is sure to be a refreshing snack after New Year.
7. Lychee
From the same family as the local rambutan, lychee is a round fruit with a thin rough skin and a sweet white flesh surrounding a large seed in its center. It has a fragrant scent and taste that resembles a mix between pears and grapes. Have this on your fruit bowl and its red color would surely fit the occasion.
8. Kiwi
An oval-shaped fruit the size of a hen’s egg, the kiwifruit or kiwi has a fibrous brown skin with pale green flesh that is quite complex in flavor. It is juicy and and has a creamy texture, with a taste often described as a mix between a strawberry, pineapple, and banana. If you haven’t tried one and can’t imagine its taste then it’s about time you try it!
9. Pomelo
A citrus fruit about the size of the cantaloupe, the pomelo has a thick yellow rind with a pulpy flesh that is either pink or yellow. The former often leans on the sour-tasting side of the pomelo while the ones with the yellow center are said to be sweeter.
10. Pear
The pear is a pale yellow fruit with a crisp texture resembling an apple. It has a sweet taste that recedes over time. The smooth peel of the pear is an appealing sight when combined among the other fruits on your table.
12 LUCKY FRUIT’s FOR NEW YEAR
In the Philippines, It is part of our tradition for every Filipinos to have 12 round of fruits on display at the table on New year’s eve. It represents each fruits for every month.
Filipinos believe that it brings Prosperity, Happiness, Good health and Money on the coming year.
We often have fruits on display in our table on New year’s eve such as apples, orange, pineapple, watermelon, grapes, melon, longan, coconut pear, pomelo and many more, and just every fruit that is round. each color of the fruit has it’s meaning and shape of the fruit symbolizing luck.
Color
Green and Purple – symbolize prosperity
Pink – symbolize good health
Red – symbolize happiness and luck
Yellow – symbolize happiness and unity
Orange – symbolize gold and money
Shape
A circle or round represents money or coins, which will attract good fortune to our household.
As my family live in the Middle east, we still continue to bring the tradition in our household. we’re practicing the tradition as far as i remember. (I bet many Filipinos abroad still practice the tradition). besides it’s something nice to look at, with different colors and shapes.
Culture speaks
speaking of culture. we got this culture from Chinese ancestry.
Superstitious Belief
As funny as it gets with our beliefs, we still practice it and still common for us. anyway we believe that, There is no harm in believing, It might even get you good luck.
These are some common belief we practice in New Year’s eve
- Jump as high as you can when the New Year’s eve come – to become taller. (I did it every year when i was young, but it didn’t change my height, I’m still 5 feet tall) … lol haha : – D
- Make very loud noises during New year’s eve – to drive away bad luck or bad spirit. (my Father do it with very loud firecrackers, I do it with trumpets and banging the pots and pans. haha
- Lights should be all open. Rice dispenser should be open – welcomes a bright New Year and abundance of food
- Wearing Polka dots clothes – It believes to bring good fortune, because polka dots is a circle that represents money
- Throwing coins around the house – It attracts money to the house hold. (My mother used to do these, she throws lots of coins inside the house, and we children are racing to pick all the coins… hahaha This is soo much fun, believe me.
- Sticky rice/Glutinous rice – we called it malagkit, symbolizes harmony and unity in the family
- We eat Noodles – we called it pancit in tagalog, symbolizes long life, due to the long strands of noodles.
- Eat together as a family – we gather to pray and eat together as a family. also for unity and harmony.
As i was writing this, I can’t help but to laugh and cried a bit. i am so delighted to remember my childhood, when life was very simple. crying because, i am not home for my parents at New year’s eve. I really missed them. though i will call them at New year’s eve Philippine time.
You are very lucky if you are home for New year’s eve : – )
This coming New year’s eve, I planned to put 12 round fruits and veggies on my table for display that includes:
- apple
- watermelon
- melon
- blueberries
- pomegranate
- tomato
- garlic
NEW YEAR’S EVE TRADITIONS
Christmas (and my birthday) has come and gone. And in a few days, we welcome the New Year. I love this time of year because it’s a new beginning – new hopes and new dreams. We set new goals to achieve and we wish for the best the new year can bring. It doesn’t hurt to do fun, hopeful, and even silly things in the spirit of tradition. We all need some fun especially now, right? So I’m here to share with you some of the New Year’s Eve Traditions we like to do!
I. 12 GRAPES ON A STICK
I read about this NYE tradition a few years ago. Since then, I try to do them each New Year. Basically, you stick 12 grapes on a bamboo stick. Each person gets to eat one stick on New Year. Each grape represents each month of the year. So the first grape you eat (starting from the top) is for January, the next grape is for February, and so on. If the grape you ate is sweet, then it’s going to be a sweet month for you. If it’s bland, then there’s nothing special going on that month. If it’s sour or bitter, then it’s not gonna be a good month. It may sound silly, and of course, we know you make your own future, not the grapes. But isn’t the concept fun – trying to taste what your month’s gonna look like and talking about it amongst yourselves? Yes!
On a side note, serve the grapes on a flute or champagne glass and have the bubbly ready after you eat your grapes! I like trying something extra cute or fancy. So one year, I got the limited edition Chandon x Rebecca Minkoff bottle! Oh the fashion-obsessed in you will want to pick a bottle or two even just to display on your bar cart!
II. 13 ROUND FRUITS
Another tradition that my family has been practicing since I was in my mother’s womb is putting 13 round (or roundish) fruits on the table. This is a popular Philippine tradition during the New Year. Others serve 12, others serve 13. If I’m not mistaken, the 13 was inspired from a Chinese tradition, because 13 for them is actually a lucky number. The round fruits signify abundance and prosperity in the coming year. The round shape symbolizes coins – money.
This photo was from our 2017 fruit tray. I put mine on a tray this year because I don’t have a large enough round serving platter which is what’s commonly used. I may have to do a last-minute Home Goods run if I get bothered by it. Hehe. Which reminds me… I may have to grab a pomegranate or kiwi to replace the lime too. Others follow a “sweet fruits” only rule, leaving out the sour ones like lemons and limes. But hey, sometimes sour is also good, right?
III. SERVE AND EAT ROUND SWEET FOODS
You’re already serving round fruits. So while you’re at it, serve all types of round foods too – especially the sweet ones! One of the most common is the Philippine delicacy bilo-bilo or palitaw – a kind of sweet rice cake that’s boiled and floats up when cooked. But you can also serve and eat round chocolates and other desserts too.
Bonus points for smiley emojis, right? Lindt is a genius!
IV. PUT MONEY ON ALL OF YOUR POCKETS
Another common NYE tradition in the Philippines is that you have to wear something with pockets and make sure to fill them up with money. Put your wallet, put bills, put coins. Just make sure you don’t have an empty pocket so you’ll have money all year long!
V. DECORATE AND WEAR THE COLOR OF THE YEAR
A few years ago, I started a fun tradition for our family to wear the Pantone Color of the Year for New Year’s Eve or New Year.
For 2022, the Pantone Color of the Year is Very Peri which is like a periwinkle / purple color described by Pantone as having a “Courageous Presence that Encourages Personal Inventiveness And Creativity”.
It’s just fun to do something we turned into our own family tradition.
Keep in mind, this is different from the lucky colors of the year based on Feng Shui or Chinese astrology. Below, I listed other NYE traditions of what to wear:
- Each year, there’s a corresponding lucky color according to astrologers. 2022 is the year of the Tiger and the lucky color is said to be RED. But it can also differ depending on your element sign (water, fire, earth, wood). While we usually follow or wear that color on Chinese New Year, most people will already wear those lucky colors for January 1.
- There’s also the “wear something polka dot” to symbolize coins or money. You don’t have to be all decked out in dots. A few years ago, I wore polka dot socks. Another time, I wore polka dot undies. Hehe. So as long as you’re wearing something polka dot, that’s perfectly fine.
- For the Chinese people, usually, they wear red for good luck on New Year’s Eve. It just so happens that in 2022, that’s the lucky color too. So you can definitely go that route too.
- Other people will wear green to symbolize money (dollar dollar bills baby).
This photo was from a previous New Year where I also decorated our home with the color of the year (greenery at that time).
- Tory Burch candle
- Jonathan Adler Kangaroo match strike
- Champagne Flutes
- Love Grows Here art via T.J. Maxx
- Bar cart
- Faux Fur Throw
- Pillows via H&M
- Pineapple pillows c/o Zazzle
VI. CLEAN HOME AND WELL-STOCKED PANTRY
Aside from decorating the home, another tradition we like to do is keep the whole house clean before NYE and make sure the pantry and food containers are well stocked or full. Again, this signifies abundance and prosperity for the coming year.
VII. DO WHAT YOU LOVE ON NEW YEAR’S DAY
There’s a popular belief in the Philippines that whatever you’re doing on New Year’s Day, you’ll be doing the rest of the year. So don’t be doing laundry because then, you’ll be doing laundry the whole year… haha… unless of course you want to do that. So do fun things that you like. Want to spend more quality time with your loved ones? Then do that. Want to travel? A quick getaway can inspire your travel plans the rest of the year!
Hope you enjoyed some of the New Year’s Eve Traditions that I shared with you. And I hope it inspires your New Year preparations. How about you? What traditions do you and your family follow? I’d love to know and maybe add to our traditions too. Wishing you all the best this year has to offer. Have a Prosperous and Peaceful New Year!