New Year's Eve Description
New Year's Eve (Bisperas ng Bagong Taon) on December 31st is a special non-working day in the Philippines, treated as a de facto holiday to allow Filipinos to prepare for and celebrate the New Year. The traditions rival Christmas in their intensity. Families prepare another Media Noche feast, wear polka dots for prosperity, keep doors and windows open at midnight, and fill pockets with coins — all customs meant to invite good fortune and wealth for the coming year. The making of loud noises — through fireworks, firecrackers, car horns, banging pots and pans (torotot horns are sold on streets everywhere) — is an enduring tradition believed to drive away evil spirits. Major urban hospitals go on alert for firecracker-related injuries, which spike annually despite government health campaigns. Television networks broadcast year-end countdown specials from major venues. Government offices and banks close. Many businesses close by midday. Public transport operates on holiday schedules with some late-night services for revelers. The Department of Health annually pleads for reduced firecracker use, and many local governments organize community fireworks displays as safer alternatives. The Philippines rings in the new year with arguably the most intense noise and light display in Asia.
