New Year Traditions/Superstitions in the Philippines

Twelve kinds of round fruits should be in your table by midnight to bring good luck and prosperity to the Household

When I was growing up in the Philippines, my parents will tell us kids that on New Years Eve and Day, we should do the following for good luck. Doing these things will help insure that the coming year will be a happy and prosperous one. Many of these traditions and superstition are of Chinese influence, I believe.

1. Turn on all lights so that the coming year will be bright.

2. Make as much noise as you can to scare away evil spirits.

3. Debts must be paid off. Fill you wallet with fresh peso bills.

4. Open all doors, windows, cabinets and drawers to let good fortune in.

5. Scatter coins around the house, on tabletops.... inside drawers...

6. Clean everything including your body by taking a long bath, the closets and the whole house.

7. Wear polka-dots, preferably black and white. Anything round signifies prosperity.

8. Jump twelve times at midnight to increase your height. (Observed by Filipino children.)

There are five things related to food that we must do for good luck as follows:

1. Prepare 12 round fruits, one for each month of the coming new year ( see photo above).

2. Have a very round grape in your mouth at the stroke of midnight.

3. Eat a native delicacy made from sticky rice to make good fortune stick in the new year.

4. Eat long noodles (pancit) for long life ( definitely of Chinese origin). We should eat pancit also during our birthday.

5. Don't eat any chicken or fish. They are associated with the scarcity of food.

Then on New Years Day we should not clean anything, otherwise we might sweep away the good fortune. In addition we should not spend money at all. Our being thrifty that day will help us manage our money very well for the whole year. Do you have any New Years Eve tradition in your family? Please share!

Happy 2017 to All of You, my dear readers and FaceBook Friends!

Over One Billion Pesos Damage from Typhoon Nina in Marinduque

Here's the latest news on the damage of typhoon Nina in Marinduque-our second home

http://newsinfo.inquirer.net/857737/nina-damage-to-marinduque-at-p1b-state-of-calamity-declared

My Tamarind tree and Heron Statuaries after the Typhoon at CDM, Amoingon, Boac

Tamarind Tree Before the Typhoon

One of the mango trees at CDM-down and Nono statuaries scattered into pieces.

Mango tree and Nono Statuaries Before the Typhoon

Additional Photos of Nina's Damage at Chateau Du Mer, Marinduque

My Tamarind Tree-Gone!

One of My Chico Trees-Gone!

One of the Many Mango Trees-Gone

Start of Clean-Up

Coconut Tree #1 down

Fence Destroyed!

Cashew Tree Split

Super Typhoon Slammed Marinduque-Damage at Chateau Du Mer

I am crying as I am posting the following photos sent by my sister-in-law who was in Amoingon, Boac at Chateau Du Mer, Christmas Day. The damage to the landscaping and some structures will cost a lot of money. Luckily no one was hurt and we will recover. The clean-up will probably take at least one week to one month.

According to the news Super Typhoon Nock-ten was the most intense late December tropical cyclone anywhere on the globe in over a half century. Known in the Philippine area of responsibility as "Nina," this super typhoon first made landfall on Christmas Day as the equivalent of a Category 4 hurricane on the Saffir-Simpson Hurricane Wind Scale, with winds of 155 mph. Nock-ten/Nina was the strongest Christmas Day tropical cyclone anywhere on the globe dating to 1960, according to Colorado State University tropical scientist, Dr. Phil Klotzbach. 

I am Getting Old-My Oldest Son is 58 Years Old!

Dodie ( Diosdado) and wife Ruth Carver, 2016. Photo taken from their recent tour of Europe.

I am proud to introduce to all my Blog and Facebook readers my oldest son, Dodie ( Diosdado),his wife Ruth Carver and their three children, Philip, Alix and Marina. Dodie turned 58 last October. I am feeling old, just knowing that my oldest son had turned 58 years old. Macrine and I are very proud of his accomplishments not only as a Prosecuting Attorney but also as a published author, Cloyne Court.

Dodie and Family, 2014.

The David B Katague Clan, 2015

Dodie obtained his Bachelors degree from UC Berkeley and Law Degree from UC Davis. He has more than 30 years experience as a PA (Prosecuting Attorney) for Contra Costa County, Martinez, California.

For details on Dodie's professional career visit his linkedin.com website: https://www.linkedin.com/in/dodie-katague-83ab6a18

For Reviews on his novel Cloyne Court visit: https://www.amazon.com/Cloyne-Court-Dodie-Katague/dp/0981955339

HERE'S SOME tidbits of my three grand Children:

Philip( 24): Philip graduated with his BA from UC Santa Cruz last year. This year he flew out of the nest living on his own. He plays with his punk rock band and works part time at Zachary's pizza and at the UC Berkeley Theatre. UC Berkeley now hosts concerts.

Aix: ( 22): Alix and I have the same birthday( 12/20) and I am always 60 years older than her. She will be graduating from Cornell University next year. She was offered a well paying job at Eero here in San Francisco. Eero manufactures Wi-Fi mesh routers that extends and improves your Wi-Fi signal throughout the house by placing three Eero boxes around the house. Eero is a high-tech firm with typical perks such as a chef who prepares free lunch and dinner for their employees.

Marina ( 20): Marina is a sophomore at Cal Poly San Luis Obispo majoring in Kinesiology.

Yesterday, Dodie and his family with Ditas and Carenna give us a ride to Mountain View to celebrate Christmas with Macrine's niece, Lanie Jambalos Lazarte Chalfin and her husband Alex with their two kids, Wesley and Samantha. It was a long and hard day for Macrine but we had a grand time. The food and company was excellent. Special mention was Lanie's pot roast cooked to perfection. The above photo are some of the goodies Macrine and I received this Christmas.

Time to Say Merry Christmas in Various Languages

It is time to say Merry Christmas to all my FaceBook friends and blog readers all over the world. My stats indicate that I have readers from 165 countries, but this list includes only 114 languages. Please add your own language if it is not included in this list via the comment section of this article. I hope you continue reading my articles/blogs and make comments. Again Happy Holidays to all my non-Christians friends! The following photos were taken of our Family reunion yesterday late afternoon, Christmas Eve

LANGUAGE TRANSLATION
AFRIKAANS geseënde Kersfees
ALBANIAN gëzuar Krishtlindja
ALSATIAN gleckika Wïanachta
ARABIC ميلاد مجيد (miilaad majiid)
ARMENIAN Shnorhavor Surb tsnund
AZERI Noel bayraminiz mubarak
BASQUE Eguberri on
BELARUSIAN З Божым нараджэннем (Z Bozym naradzenniem)
BENGALI subho baradin
BOSNIAN sretan Božić
BRETON Nedeleg laouen
BULGARIAN весела коледа (vesela koleda)
BURMESE Christmas nay hma mue pyaw pa
CATALAN bon Nadal
CHEROKEE ulihelisdi danisdayohihvi
CHINESE 圣诞快乐 (shèng dàn kuài lè)
CORNISH Nadelek lowen
CORSICAN bon Natale

CROATIAN sretan Božić
CZECH veselé Vánoce
DANISH glædelig jul
DHOLUO bedgi sikuku maber
DUTCH vrolijk Kerstfeest
ENGLISH merry Christmas
ESPERANTO gojan Kristnaskon
ESTONIAN häid jõule
FAROESE gleðilig jól
FINNISH hyvää joulua
FRENCH joyeux Noël
FRISIAN noflike Krystdagen
FRIULAN bon nadâl
GALICIAN bo Nadal
GEORGIAN Gilotsavt Shobas
GERMAN frohe Weihnachten / fröhliche Weihnachten
GREEK Καλα Χριστούγεννα (kala christougenna / kala xristougenna)
HAITIAN CREOLE jwaye Nowel
HAWAIIAN mele Kalikimaka
HEBREW חג מולד שמח (hag molad saméa'h)
HINDI Krismas ki subhkamna
HUNGARIAN boldog karácsonyt
ICELANDIC gleðileg jól
IGBO annuri Ekeresimesi
ILOCANO naragsak a paskua
INDONESIAN selamat Natal
IRISH GAELIC Nollaig shona
ITALIAN buon Natale
JAVANESE sugeng Natal
JAPANESE merii kurisumasu
KABYLIAN tameghra tameggazt
KHMER រីក​រាយ​បុណ្យ​ណូអ៊ែល (rik reay bon Noel)
KINYARWANDA Noheli nziza
KIRUNDI Noheli nziza
KOREAN 즐거운 크리쓰마쓰
KURDISH Noela we pîroz be
LAO souksan van Christmas
LATIN felix dies Nativitatis
LATVIAN priecīgus Ziemassvētkus
Merry Christmas and Happy New Year in Filipino ( Tagalog)
LIGURIAN bón dênâ / bón natâle
LITHUANIAN su Kalėdomis / linksmų Kalėdų
LOW SAXON vrolik Kersfees
LUXEMBOURGEOIS schéi Chrëschtdeeg
MACEDONIAN среќен Божиќ (srećen Božić)
MALAGASY tratry ny Krismasy / arahabaina tratry ny Krismasy / arahaba tratry ny Krismasy
MALAY selamat hari natal
MALAYALAM Christmas ashamshagal
MALTESE il-milied it-tajjeb / milied hieni
MANX Nollick ghennal
MAORI meri Kirihimete
MIZO Krismas chibai
MONÉGASQUE bon Natale
MONGOLIAN zul sariin bayariin mend hurgie
NORWEGIAN god jul

OCCITAN bon Nadal
OROMO baga ayyaana dhaloota Kiristoos isin ga'e
PAPIAMENTU bon pasku
PERSIAN کریسمس مبارک (Christmas mobaarak)
POLISH wesołych świąt bożego Narodzenia
PORTUGUESE feliz Natal
ROMANI baxtalo Krečuno
ROMANIAN un Crăciun fericit
RUKIGA Noheiri nungi / webale Noheiri
RUSSIAN С Рождеством Хрисовым (S rozhdestvom Khristovym)
SAMOAN ia manuia le Kerisimasi
SARDINIAN bona pasca’e Nadale (logudorese) / bona paschixedda (campidanese)
SCOTTISH GAELIC Nollaig chridheil
SERBIAN Христос се роди (Hristos se rodi)
SHONA krisimas yakanaka
SILESIAN Radosnych godów
SINDHI Chrismas joon wadhayoon
SINHALESE suba nattalak wewa
SLOVAK vesele vianoce
SLOVENIAN vesel božič / vesele božične praznike
SOBOTA dobro dedek
SPANISH feliz Navidad

SRANAN switi Krisneti
SWAHILI heri la Krismasi
SWEDISH god jul
TAGALOG maligayang pasko
TAHITIAN 'ia 'oa'oa e teie Noera
TAMIL கிறிஸ்மஸ் தின நல் வாழ்த்துக்கள் (Krismas dina nal vaagethoukkal)
TELUGU Krismas shubhakankshalu
THAI สุขสันต์วันคริสต์มาส (souksaan wan Christmas)
TONGAN mele Kilisimasi

TSWANA (SETSWANA) Keresemose sentle
TURKISH Noeliniz kutlu olsun
UDMURT Shuldyr Ymuśton
UKRAINIAN З Різдвом Христовим Z Rizdvom Khrystovym
VIETNAMESE Mừng Chúa Giáng Sinh
WALOON ("betchfessîs" spelling) djoyeus Noyé
WELSH Nadolig llawen
WEST INDIAN CREOLE jénwèl
YIDDISH אַ גוטע ניטל (a gute nitl)
YORUBA e kun odun Keresimesi
ZULU UKhisimusi omuhle

Reference: www.freelang.net

My Favorite Photos of My Siblings and their Families

Christmas Eve here in US and Canada but already Christmas in the Philippines, Australia and New Zealand. This is a perfect time to greet my siblings and their families, Maligayang Pasko!

Sending Holiday Greetings to All My Siblings and their Families for the Year 2016-2017.

Efren Katague and Family, Sydney, Australia

Amor ( my youngest sister) Katague-Gregorio and Family, Jaro, Iloilo, Philippines

Agnes Katague, Ly-Galvin and Family, Maryland, USA

Dolce Ruben Katague and Family, Bacolod, Philippines

Erico ( RIP)Katague, Sr. and Family, Jaro, Iloilo, Philippines

Jemma and Erico Katague, Jr, Jaro, Iloilo, 2016

Myrla Katague Hilaga and Family, Canada and New Zealand

Note: Dear Brothers and Sisters: If you have a more recent and current family photo please send it to me, so I can update my photo files. Again, Merry Christmas and a Prosperous Happy New Year to you All

Here's our simple Christmas tree and Capiz parole this year, 2016

Getting Ready for Our Christmas Dinner

Our Entrance Hall Ready to Welcome Guests

This year our family reunion Christmas Dinner is scheduled for Christmas Eve tomorrow at around 3PM. Normally we have this celebration on Christmas Day. However, to accommodate Macrine's niece scheduled party for Christmas day we exchanged days.

Tomorrow Macrine will be using her Fine China and Sterling silver sets. Macrine has two sets of silver. One expensive set is manufactured by Towle Sterling. Our pattern is El Grande and we purchased the 40 pc set in 1964. Our other set is stainless by Oneida very much cheaper than the Towle set. The design is almost identical to the El Grande. It is not easy to differentiate the two sets by just looking. However, the Sterling set is twice as heavy and of course marked.

Macrine also planned to use her Bone and Fine Chinas. We have two sets. One set of 60 is Bone China made in Narumi, Mikasa, Japan and marked Hunter 112. The other set is Fine China by Royal Gallery, Jessica Japan, 9005G.

As we started to polish the silver, I notice Macrine has other fine crystals and china. One of them is a tea pot, a Blue Imari shown in the photo below. The Blue Imari trademark can be seen at the bottom of the tea pot.