Media Noche is the Filipino New Year’s Eve feast associated with displaying twelve round fruits. The round shapes are thought to resemble coins, while the twelve fruits commonly represent the twelve months of the coming year.
The meal is usually shared by family at midnight or shortly afterward. Commonly displayed fruits may include oranges, grapes, apples, melons, and other rounded produce, although the exact selection varies by household and availability. Families may also prepare foods believed to symbolize prosperity, fullness, or togetherness.
Media Noche literally means “midnight” in Spanish and reflects the Philippines’ long Spanish colonial and Catholic cultural history, alongside local family customs. It is distinct from Noche Buena, the Christmas Eve feast. The twelve-fruit practice is a popular folk tradition rather than a rule requiring one fixed list of fruit, so descriptions may differ while retaining the same ideas of luck and abundance.