FOOD NEWS
This Lucky New Year's Eve Tradition Starts With 12 Round Fruits
BY MATTHEW SPINA
In many cultures, food is used to symbolize hope for the New Year, and in the Philippines, they ring in the New Year with 12 round fruits, to bring luck for the coming months.
The 12 round fruits are symbolic of luck on many levels. The 12 fruits represent the 12 months, and their round shapes represent coins and prosperity.
The 12 fruits are often consumed as part of Media Noche, the midnight meal as December turns to January. The fruits chosen can have specific meanings and hopes.
Some common symbols include apples for wealth and prosperity, watermelon for abundance, papaya for luck, mangos for love and family, and lemons, which cleanse negative energy.
In the Philippines, native fruits like atis, chicos, lanzones, and rambutan are also used, but you can choose any fruit you’d like as long as it retains the spirit.