HAGONOY, Bulacan—Believe it or not, but Filipinos still believe in superstitions despite the advent of modern technology, and such drives local market sales.
This is evident in the market where products like round fruits and pyrotechnics sell like hotcakes just before the New Year.
“It’s our bestseller before New Year,” a female side walk vendor here said in Filipino referring to “kiat-kiat”, a small citrus fruit that resembles as dwarfed orange fruit.
She said people’s belief in “pamahiin” or superstitions, somehow, is what drives the market before the year’s end.
“They want to stock their tables with abundant food especially round fruits as they welcome the New Year so that they will have abundance all year round,” she explained while asking not to be name.
Others said that having round fruits on the table as they welcome the New Year is tantamount to having a “lucky charm.”
“Suwerte daw yung mga bilog na prutas,” said Joycelyn Arce, a housewife here as she checked her list of fruits which she bought two days before the New Year.
For his part, Celso Cruz, former president of the Philippine Pyrotechnics Manufacturers and Dealers Association Inc., (PPMDAI), said that lighting firecrackers to welcome the New Year has been long ingrained into the Filipino psyche.
“It’s a tradition that you can’t stop,” he said referring to Filipino’s use of pyrotechnics products in welcoming the New Year.
He said that it is one of the reasons why the country’s pyrotechnics industry continues to thrive despite being tagged as a “sunset industry” more than a decade ago.
“People like the thrill of exploding firecrackers and the amazing colors emitted by fireworks display. To them, it’s the ultimate way of celebrating and welcoming the New Year,” Cruz said.
Others, on the other hand, still believe that lighting firecrackers will drive away evil spirits.
This is specifically true in far flung villages in provinces where tales of “tiyanaks”, “kapres” “duwendes” and other mythological characters are still being told to children before they go to sleep.
Emmanuel Bernabe, a local resident of Barangay San Sebastian here, said they used to light five to 10 pieces five star everyday for almost two years at the back of his uncles house just to drive away the “tiyanak” that used to inhabit the place.
“Kahit hindi bagong taon, talagang nagpapaputok kami para umalis yung tiyanak sa likod bahay,” he said.
This is evident in the market where products like round fruits and pyrotechnics sell like hotcakes just before the New Year.
“It’s our bestseller before New Year,” a female side walk vendor here said in Filipino referring to “kiat-kiat”, a small citrus fruit that resembles as dwarfed orange fruit.
She said people’s belief in “pamahiin” or superstitions, somehow, is what drives the market before the year’s end.
“They want to stock their tables with abundant food especially round fruits as they welcome the New Year so that they will have abundance all year round,” she explained while asking not to be name.
Others said that having round fruits on the table as they welcome the New Year is tantamount to having a “lucky charm.”
“Suwerte daw yung mga bilog na prutas,” said Joycelyn Arce, a housewife here as she checked her list of fruits which she bought two days before the New Year.
For his part, Celso Cruz, former president of the Philippine Pyrotechnics Manufacturers and Dealers Association Inc., (PPMDAI), said that lighting firecrackers to welcome the New Year has been long ingrained into the Filipino psyche.
“It’s a tradition that you can’t stop,” he said referring to Filipino’s use of pyrotechnics products in welcoming the New Year.
He said that it is one of the reasons why the country’s pyrotechnics industry continues to thrive despite being tagged as a “sunset industry” more than a decade ago.
“People like the thrill of exploding firecrackers and the amazing colors emitted by fireworks display. To them, it’s the ultimate way of celebrating and welcoming the New Year,” Cruz said.
Others, on the other hand, still believe that lighting firecrackers will drive away evil spirits.
This is specifically true in far flung villages in provinces where tales of “tiyanaks”, “kapres” “duwendes” and other mythological characters are still being told to children before they go to sleep.
Emmanuel Bernabe, a local resident of Barangay San Sebastian here, said they used to light five to 10 pieces five star everyday for almost two years at the back of his uncles house just to drive away the “tiyanak” that used to inhabit the place.
“Kahit hindi bagong taon, talagang nagpapaputok kami para umalis yung tiyanak sa likod bahay,” he said.
