#resound11 Prompt 18: Traditions
This is the time of year when families are upholding decades old traditions and working to create new ones. It doesn’t matter what you celebrate (or don’t) … please share with us your December traditions: how they got started, why you continue them, and why they are special to you.
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NYE Good Luck Altar
Round fruit, coins, water, salt, sugar and uncooked rice… I honestly can’t tell you what all of this means. All I know is it brings good luck, abundance into the home for the new year.
For as long as I can remember my mom has been setting up this good luck altar on December 31st — this is usually her centerpiece. She surrounds this with food and I mean a lot of food. During my formative years, no matter where we were in life (struggling financially or comfortable) my mom made sure our dinner table was overflowing with food during the holidays. She wanted abundance for the new year and this was something that my grandma taught her. Now I find myself continuing on the tradition without questioning it. Someday I’ll ask how this tradition started. It is part of Filipino culture and the setup can vary in each household but the basics include fruit and coins.
This tradition is important to me because of what it reminds me: good fortune, culture & family. I love doing things my grandma taught us. And I find it important to remember our roots… our hardships… so the good moments can really shine.
