New Year's Day in the Philippines

When is New Year's Day in Philippines?

New Year's Day in Philippines is on January 1, 2025. It falls on Wednesday.

How many days until New Year's Day in Philippines?

There are 247 Days left until New Year's Day in the Philippines.

Is New Year's Day a public holiday in Philippines?

New Year’s Day is a public holiday in the Philippines that celebrates the first day of the new year, following the Gregorian calendar. It is one of the massive celebrations in the Philippines which is usually a time for Filipino families to get together, share special meal, and welcome the brand-new year.

Origin of New Year's Day

New Year’s Day or typically known as Bagong Taon by the Filipino people, is observed every January 1st of the year. It is one of the most expected and awaited holidays by majority of Filipinos. They would get everything set starting from December 31 (New Year’s Eve) until the time strikes at the first day of the new year. This holiday centers on the celebration of the end of the year and welcome the brand-new year. This day is as a public holiday in the Philippines where employees have their expected mini vacation from work as well as students from their center of learning. Most businesses, offices, organizations and agencies are closed as well.

New Year in the Philippines started to be observed during those times of aged Babylon, one of the oldest ethnic groups during the pre-colonial period. Filipinos were celebrating the holiday even without the two systems of the calendar, the Gregorian and Julian Calendar. Ancestors would celebrate the holiday depending on when would spring season approached. If we would base it on our calendar nowadays, they would be celebrating the holiday on the end of March. Filipinos were celebrating the New Year for 11 days before. In addition to that, New Year’s Day is considered as the oldest holiday commemorated in the country.


New Year's Day Traditions in the Philippines

Filipinos have this impressive motto during the said holiday saying ‘Bagong taon, bagong buhay’ which means ‘New Year, new life’. And that, itself, is the reason why they would do everything to make their new year remarkable and unforgettable.

Reuniting with Families and Sharing Special Meals

For most Filipinos, uniting with families on New Year’s Day has become part of the celebration. Filipino families would have a ‘salo salo’ also known as a Media Noche, a midnight meal that is shared in New Year. They would do this to spend time catching up each other’s life. Filipino people believe in many superstitious beliefs in celebrating the New Year’s Day. These beliefs became their tradition as time goes by. They would place money and coins in their pockets or wallets for they believe it would make them financially stable throughout the whole year. Most of the foods and fruits prepared in their table are circle-shaped since they assume that those foods will bring luck for each members of the family for the whole year. They would also pay all of their bills so they would start the new year without any form of debt/problems. Those practices are rooted from a belief that whatever you do in the first day of the year, will influence how your life will be for the entire year. Hence, most Filipinos do their best to spend the day according to a preferred events and practices.

Other Filipino Practices on New Year's Day

When midnight strikes, every member of the family would eat twelve pieces of grapes which they think it would make them lucky for the twelve months of the year. They would unlock all the windows and doors in their homes because it is a belief that the fortune will take aside instead of bad lucks during 12 o’clock on the 1st day of the year. A traditional custom is also observed where Filipinos would play their appliances, ride their vehicles in a brief moment, ringing bells, making noises and entertain their selves with firecrackers and fireworks, and any other devices or things that create huge sounds for they believe that by doing this things, all bad spirits would stay away from them. Some of the said traditions are adapted from the other Asian countries.

Dates of Observance for New Year's Day
Year Date Day Holiday
2025 January 01 Wednesday New Year's Day
2026 January 01 Thursday New Year's Day
2027 January 01 Friday New Year's Day
2028 January 01 Saturday New Year's Day
2029 January 01 Monday New Year's Day
2030 January 01 Tuesday New Year's Day
Upcoming Philippines Holidays
Holiday Date
Labour Day May 01, 2024
Independence Day June 12, 2024
Feast of the Sacrifice (Eid al-Adha) June 16, 2024
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