The cardboard or plastic horn Filipinos blow on New Year's Eve is called a torotot.
A torotot is a simple party horn, often made from cardboard or plastic, that produces a loud buzzing or blaring sound when blown. Filipinos commonly use torotots during New Year's Eve celebrations alongside firecrackers, fireworks, car horns, pots, pans, and loud music.
The noise has a traditional protective meaning. In popular Filipino belief, making a great din at midnight helps frighten away bad luck and evil spirits while welcoming the new year. The horn is therefore more than a novelty: it is part of a broader sound-making ritual connected with renewal and protection.
The word should not be confused with a kazoo, which is a small musical instrument that alters a player’s voice, or a shofar, which is a ritual horn traditionally made from a ram’s horn in Jewish practice. A vuvuzela is a long plastic stadium horn associated especially with football crowds, while a torotot is the Filipino New Year party horn.
Davao City even held a Torotot Festival in the 2013–14 New Year celebration, promoting horns as a safer alternative to firecrackers.