NEW
Remembering the highlights. On New Year’s Day eve, Franco and I sat down, actually I was sitting down while he was lying in bed, reminisced the highlights of 2010 and wrote ‘em down on a Christmas card. We will make this an annual exercise every December 31st.
I am planning to put small basket where we can display our cards every December, most likely under the Christmas tree. I am so looking forward to looking back at happy memories of years past every holiday season.
Lighting up prosperity candles. Candles were lit at exactly 11:30PM of December 31. Then, when the clock struck 12 we blew the candles and arranged them according to height. Each candle represents a blessing. The smallest candle is said to represent the first blessing that will come in 2011. For us, it was the pink which symbolizes love,that melted the fastest. Franco’s mother was a little luckier. The green candle melted the fastest for them, meaning, monetary blessings will come.
OLD
Making palitaw. This is a tradition in my lola’s house and am glad to be able to continue the practice. When palitaws are cooked, they float. Floating round palitaws are said to bring luck. Palitaw are very easy to make. Glutinous rice powder, the main ingredient is available in all supermarkets. Aside from that, you just need, water, freshly grated coconut, sugar and toasted sesame seeds. For this batch, we used muscovado sugar.
Turning on of all light bulbs and opening all the cabinet doors. Ideally , doors and windows should be open too but smoke was everywhere outside the house, we decided on just keeping the cabinet doors open.
Familia Kiki 
happy new year! ganda ng tradition nyo 🙂 sige, kami rin ni Ryan isusulat namin so we won’t forget. kasi we just highlighted them out loud when we were on a road trip the other day.
happy new year, sis maqui! gusto ko rin yung prosperity candles. 🙂 where do you buy sesame seeds pala? readily available ba yun sa supermarket?
mapi, sesame seeds are everywhere, groceries and palengke. i think pati dun sa mga naglalako ng paminta anf kung anik anik na pampalasa. check mo lang sa section for peppers and laurel leaves.
pahabol, mapi. tagalog term niya nga pla ay Linga.
HAPPY, PROSPEROUS and HEALTHY NEW YEAR to your lovable family! Ü
happy new year to you to karsten!
i love the idea of writting down the highlights of the year! thanks, maqui for posting this
you’re welcome, irene! 🙂
Nainggit ako! Gusto ko ng palitaw!!! 🙂
go go go, clarice! super easy promise! Jia can even help you shape the palitaws. para lang naglalaro ng clay.
Oh oh, I love that idea about listing your milestones for the year. and san nakakabili prosperity candles? I read about that before and wanted to make it a yearly tradition too at home pero di ko alam where to buy so di na naman namin nagawa this year. 😦
faye, we got the prosperity candles from a vendor sa st francis church sa mandaluyong, near edsa shang. it was 40 per pack. i heard sa antipolo church, 10 pesos lang daw. and year round daw meron sa mga candle vendors dun.