The sounding of gongs, the beating of drums, and the clanging of cymbals were faintly heard in the distance. Yes, it was that time of the year, again: the celebration of Chinese New Year, and a little bit of love in the air, of course.
Growing up in the outskirts of Tondo bordering Binondo in the 70s and 80s, I was oblivious to anything outside my haven despite the first quarter storm and martial law. I am a second/third-generation Chinese Filipino, and although my parentage is Chinese, I was born and raised in the Philippines. I grew up mostly embracing my Chinese identity, sheltered from much of everything else except poverty and how to earn a little more by having to tutor a grade four pupil when I was just a freshman in high school. It was at that time that we thought of ourselves as either Chinese or Filipino, yet without fully identifying with either one of them.
On Chinese New Year, the sound of fireworks can be heard throughout the night, and bright, flashy displays of light can be seen outside your windows. Chinese New Year isn’t a one-day celebration. Chinese families celebrate for two weeks, with special days marking special traditions. On the sixth day of the lunar new year, families visit temples to pray to their ancestors. On the fifteenth day, on the first full moon of the lunar new year, the Lantern Festival is celebrated.