Happy New Year

Fountain

2009 is here…

I would like to greet everyone a Happy and Prosperous New Year!!!

Here are some ideas for you on how Happy New Year was spoken in different languages:

Afgani	Saale Nao Mubbarak
Afrikaans	Gelukkige nuwe jaar
Bulgarian	×åñòèòà Íîâà Ãîäèíà(pronounced “Chestita Nova Godina”)
Chinese	Xin Nian Kuai Le
Croatian	Sretna Nova godina!
Czech	Šťastný Nový rok (or Stastny Novy rok)
Dutch	GELUKKIG NIEUWJAAR!
Eskimo	Kiortame pivdluaritlo
Estonians	Head uut aastat!
Ethiopian:	MELKAM ADDIS AMET YIHUNELIWO!
Finnish	Onnellista Uutta Vuotta
French	Bonne Annee
German	Prosit Neujahr
Georgian	GILOTSAVT AKHAL TSELS!
Greek	Kenourios Chronos
Hawaiian	Hauoli Makahiki Hou
Hebrew	L’Shannah Tovah
Hindi	Naye Varsha Ki Shubhkamanyen
Hong kong	(Cantonese) Sun Leen Fai Lok
Hungarian	Boldog Ooy Ayvet
Indonesian	Selamat Tahun Baru
Iranian	Sal -e- no mobarak
Iraqi	Sanah Jadidah
Italian:	Felice anno nuovo
Japan:	Akimashite Omedetto Gozaimasu
Kannada:	Hosa Varushadha Shubhashayagalu
Kisii:	SOMWAKA OMOYIA OMUYA
Khmer:	Sua Sdei tfnam tmei
Korea:	Saehae Bock Mani ba deu sei yo!
Kurdish:	NEWROZ PIROZBE
Latvian	Laimīgo Jauno Gadu!
Macedonian	Srekjna Nova Godina
Madagascar	Tratry  ny  taona
Malay	Selamat Tahun Baru
Maltese	Is-Sena t- Tajba
Nepal	Nawa Barsha ko Shuvakamana
Norwegian	Godt Nyttår
Papua New Guinea	Nupela yia i go long yu
Persian	Sal -e- no mobarak
Philippines	Manigong Bagong Taon!
Polish:	Szczesliwego Nowego Roku
Portuguese	Feliz Ano Novo
Romanian	AN NOU FERICIT
Russian	S Novim Godom
Samoa	Manuia le Tausaga Fou
Slovak	Stastny Novy rok
Spanish	Feliz Ano ~Nuevo
Swedish	GOTT NYTT ÅR! /Gott nytt år!
Tibetian	Losar Tashi Delek
Thai	Sawadee Pee Mai
Turkish	Yeni Yiliniz Kutlu Olsun
Ukrainian	Shchastlyvoho Novoho Roku
Vietnamese	Chuc Mung Tan Nien

To know more of these different languages…

Celebrating New Year in the Philippines

New Year is one of the most awaited occasion in the Philippines. It is a celebration of huge festivities. People looks forward to this occasion in preparation for the coming year.

Prices of fruits are getting higher as New Year celebration is fast approaching. It is  believed that fruits brings good luck specially the round ones. It is a belief of prosperity and abundance for the coming year. So, Filipino families try to fill their tables with as many fruits as they can to welcome the coming year.

Fireworks are also an important part of the celebration. New Year is not a New Year without fireworks. It is a symbol of happiness and a traditional way of greeting the New Year with joy. Of course, also included in the celebration are the firecracker casualties. Every year, a lot of people suffer from firecracker explosion due to carelessness or firecracker mishandling.

Few hours before New Year, families gather to attend the mass. Then, after the mass, they gather around the table to enjoy the “Media Noche”. Lots of different Filipino delicacies were served at the table as a symbol of abundance. And at the stroke of midnight, fireworks and firecrackers are being lit to drive away evil spirits and to welcome the New Year.

New Year brings to us new hope, another year of fresh expectations — from ourselves, from the family, from the community, from our work and most specially from our government. Nothing in the coming year can change this hope even poverty, rising prices, unemployment, underemployment or even death.

Filipinos are optimists. He is filled with hope — hope that new doors and windows will open for new openings and beginnings.

So, lets all welcome the New Year with and a new and refreshed hope…

Christmas Pinoy Style

It’s Christmas day. I’m still dizzy, got a hangover from last night’s drinking and overeating with some of my neighbors and friends.  I checked the time and its 10am. I checked the kids and everybody’s still in bed. While my wife gets some food ready for breakfast, i opened the window a little bit and peeked outside. I noticed some children playing outside.

The table is ready. So, i decided to sit and drink a hot cup of coffee but i felt some pain around my throat. Its hard to swallow so i just have a few sip and talked with my wife about last night.

A mild knock at the door interrupted our breakfast. I opened the door and was greeted “Merry Xmas po!” It is my eldest son’s “kumpare” together with his two little child. Moments later, another lady followed carrying her daughter greeted me again “Tito, merry xmas po!” These children are my son’s godchildren. They’re visiting my son which are their godparent wishing for some christmas gifts or “aguinaldo”.

These tradition is a sign of paying some respects to the older folks but be ready with your gift. Nowadays, gifts are mostly in the form of money. These children which are accompanied by their parents goes to their close relatives and godparents expecting for some gifts.

Christmas here in the Philippines is an important occasion. It’s a time for the family, for gift sharing, for giving and its also time for food and fun.

To most Filipinos, Christmas is the most anticipated occasion of the year. The people with their true devotion to family and faith all contribute to the holiday celebrated in the true Pinoy style.