The Year-End Party With My Family

4 January 2025

As the clock passed midnight on the 31st of December, I reflected on the past twelve months and looked forward to the year ahead. I reflected on myself and thought about the challenges I had faced and personal growth I had developed. I can say that I have grown a lot and learned a lot from regrets, pains, and challenges. I've been through this far, yet, I am still into finding the real path I want to pursue this year.

After long years of working abroad, I finally spent the New Year with my family, not just virtually. This New Year's celebration is the most special to me, although we were incomplete, the memorable moments spent together filled up the shortcomings.

A few days before the New Year, I was permitted to shift my 12 am schedule to 4 am to be able to welcome the new year with my family. Something that I didn't do on the Christmas eve. Although lack of sleep every day, I still managed to help my mother prepare for the end-year feast. I went to the city a day prior to the 31st and this was I stumbled upon; all streets were busy and full of shoppers for the year-end celebration.

Being a Filipino, it's been our yearly tradition to prepare a small feast at the end of the year for the family. We prepare some of our favorite Filipino dishes and desserts, and we made sure that the table was full, so that the new year will be filled with blessings.

To stay within our budget, all foods were prepared at home and we didn't order anything from shops, even our cakes. My mother baked some plain cakes and we decorated them using simple ingredients we had on hand. I even found it creative, so next time, we don't need to buy cakes from shops because we can actually make some at home.

I requested to have a roasted pork belly because I've been craving for one from watching food reels on Facebook. It was granted, at last!

We were also blessed that we are raising some ducks because we can have a roasted duck whenever we want to. Back in Hong Kong, roasted duck is always a special dish on the table on special occasions, and it is quite expensive there.

Part of the Filipino New Year tradition is adding round-shaped fruits or candies on the table. Round-shaped foods said to symbolize money, so we hope that having them on the table would attract more blessings, especially in the financial aspect this new year. We harvested a miracle fruit from our backyard and we thought to decorate it with gold chocolate coins. The result was creative.

As we countdown to 2025, we went out to the street to see some fireworks. The street was filled with the sound of vehicle horns and firecrackers. We lit some firecrackers too and joined in the noise. In our beliefs, making some noise in the New Year's Eve said to drive evil spirits and bad luck away. But for most Filipinos, it's simply our way to welcome the New Year and celebrate the night in a joyful way.

Picture taking was next before eating. We were happy to have our niece Breiana because she wasn't with us on Christmas eve.

The celebration was followed with drinking and karaoke session. There wasn't an exception on the New Year's Eve. Everyone was making noise so we could sing out loud as well. It's a kind of bonding that strengthens relationship between us siblings.

My family might not be perfect, but seeing us gathering like this makes me cherish and value every moment shared together, no matter how grand or simple the celebration is.

Let's start the new year like a clean slate and leave the pains, challenges, and regrets from the past. Let's welcome it with full of positivity and joy. We may all have blissful and blessful year ahead.

Cheers to the better 2025 🍻🥂

Thanks for your time.

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