New Year's Coming

The new year is just five days away. For most Filipinos, this means lavish food, a load of firecrackers and fireworks, and a lot of superstitions. My mother-in-law always sees to it that coins are laid out everywhere her house. She also sees to it that all the lights are ablaze come New Year's Eve. My friend buys 12 different round fruits every new year. Every year it has been her dilemma as to what fruits to buy as there is not enough variety of 12 rounded fruits in season. Let's count: apple, orange, grape, melon, pomelo, watermelon, kiwi, longan, lychee, rambutan. What other rounded fruit is in season? I can't think of any.

There was year that my friend added a big round coconut in her fruit platter just to make the 12 round fruits tray complete. It was so hilarious to see a big coconut arranged side by side with the dainty grapes and kiwi. I don't believe in superstitions but I do practice lighting up all the lights in our house for New Year's eve. This afternoon I checked all the light fixtures in and out of the house to see which bulb needs to be replaced before the new year. Five. That's a lot.