MANILA, Feb. 8 -– A Filipino-Chinese businessman on Monday said the best way to celebrate Chinese New Year is to do good deeds.
“Doing good deeds to your colleagues and fellow men is a nice gesture aside from doing Chinese Horoscopes,” said Gerry Chua, founding president of Text Fire Philippines and owner of Eng Bee Tin Chinese Deli and Mr. Ube Noodle House in Binondo, Manila.
Chua said in an interview with the Philippines News Agency (PNA) that people should do good deeds by helping others through charity works and volunteer work such as firefighting, teaching street children, giving food and old clothes to the needy and praying for others.
“Chinese New Year or Spring Festival is the most important of the traditional Chinese holidays. It is sometimes called the "Lunar New Year" by English speakers,” Chua said when interviewed at his restaurant in Chinatown, Binondo, Manila.
The festival traditionally begins on the first day of the first month in the Chinese calendar and ends on the 15th; this day is called Lantern Festival. Chinese New Year's Eve is known as chú xī. It literally means "Year-pass Eve".
Chua said Chinese New Year is the longest and most important festivity in the Lunar Calendar.
The origin of Chinese New Year is itself centuries old and gains significance because of several myths and traditions. Ancient Chinese New Year is a reflection on how the people behaved and what they believed in the most.
It is celebrated by the Chinese or people with Chinese descendants all over the world. It is a major festival with many deeper meanings behind every custom and tradition practiced by the people.
“We know the meaning of some popular ones, but there are many others that we just follow and know nothing about the significant of performing the ritual,” Chua said.
Three things to be the most important about Chinese New Year, Chua said. These are the reunion dinner, house cleaning and prayer to ancestors and paying respect to parents and elders
Chua said the Reunion Dinner is conducted on the eve of the new year day. He said all family members will gather at the house of the oldest people in the family.
“This normally means everyone will come to the house of the family Patriarch for the gathering and reunion dinner. The dinner is prepared with many dishes and in big quantity to symbolize abundance. Each dish in the dinner has certain meaning attached to it either through the sound or the appearance,” he said.
Fish is a must as it sounds like abundance (extra) in Chinese particularly in Cantonese.
The house cleaning is done few days before the new year day. It is a good practice to have this as Chinese families don't normally clean the house thoroughly, Chua said.
As a human being we should always remember where we come from by praying to ancestors and paying respect to parents and elders, according to Chua.
“In today's world, filial piety has become a rare occurrence. This custom reminds the people to at least respect the parents, elders and ancestors,” Chua said. (PNA Features)V3/JCA