Expat’s Guide: Media Noche (New Year’s Eve Feast) in the Philippines

Filipinos never seem to part ways with food, no matter the occasion. No fiesta will be complete without a sumptuous meal; every holiday is celebrated with a bountiful feast on the dinner table, complete with every type of dish you can think of.

This is especially true whenever Filipinos ring in the New Year. An old Filipino custom is the Media Noche, or New Year’s Eve Feast, wherein families, friends, and relatives gather at the dinner table to enjoy a night full of food and drinks.

Also read: 12 New Year’s Traditions and Superstitions in the Philippines

What is Media Noche?

Media noche is the Spanish term for “midnight”. It’s easy to assume that it’s a tradition taught to us by the Spaniards, but it’s actually something we took from the Chinese. It takes place just as the clock strikes 12:00 mn on December 31 just as fireworks start going off, another tradition we adopted from the Chinese.

It’s a feast filled with all kinds of food that might seem random to the naked eye, but actually has a bit of thought behind it… influenced by the Chinese, of course.

What goes on the table?

There are several things you’ll see on the table for Media Noche that are unique to this particular meal:

• 12 “round” fruits. It symbolizes prosperity for all 12 months of the coming year. A round shape is the closest thing to a circle: a shape that does not have an end, which implies never-ending wealth. Since no fruit is shaped like a circle, round fruits are as close as we can get.
• Pineapple as a centerpiece. A pineapple’s scales resemble gold coins, which imply wealth for the upcoming year.
• Noodles for long life. One of the longest-standing Filipino beliefs, it’s believed that eating noodles promote long lives uninterrupted by illness.
• Sticky desserts. More than just a Filipino favorite, this type of dessert is eaten so that families will “stick together” for years to come.
• No chicken or fish. These symbolize scarcity of food, so make sure any fish or poultry dishes aren’t served for media noche.

Other than sticking to these unique items/beliefs, anything goes for Media Noche, so long as your dinner table is full of food and drinks.

The best thing about media noche is that you can recycle any recipes you’ve had during Christmas Eve! If you need ideas, check out our list of Filipino Christmas Recipes.

Source: Trekeffect, Pepper.ph, RemitHome