Chinese New Year 2025 – What brings Filipinos to celebrate this holiday?

Chinese New Year is one of the festivals that is widely celebrated in the Philippines, notwithstanding the fact that it is originally a Chinese celebration. But why do Filipinos partake in this celebration?

The Philippines highly benefited from Chinese culture as there was a longstanding relationship among them which started from trade. With time, Chinese fashion, religion, services, general practices, and customs were integrated into Filipino culture. At present, quite a few Filipinos have Chinese blood and even those who do not possess it still appreciate China culture.

In celebrating Chinese New Year, families come together to partake in lavish meals, Bangus and lion palabong are performed on streets, and red envelopes (ang pao) are distributed as a sign of good luck. Other Filipinoomen traditions such as eating tikoy (sticky rice cake) and the wearing of red to symbolize good luck is also practiced widely. Businesses and malls also get into the act of festivities by having special deals and events.

The Philippine government even recognizes Chinese New Year as a special non-working holiday, hinting and suggesting the level of importance this celebration has to the country. This particular celebration helps to show the integration of the culture of the Filipinos and the Chinese and how people can unite through customs irrespective of their nationality.