"No strings" means no jealousy, no expectations, no fighting, no flowers, no baby voices. It means they can do whatever they want, whenever they want, in whatever public place they want, as long as they don't fall in love. The question becomes- who's going to fall first? And can their friendship survive?
Filipinos borrow many traditions from the Chinese, and the idea of letting go of bad luck/bad spirits and ushering in good luck for the coming new year is the overall theme for Filipino New Year celebrations. Come late December, fruit vendors set up their stalls in more convenient locations so that people can get easier access to round fruits. You see, preparing 13 different kinds of round fruits (apples, watermelons, oranges, kiwi, etc) during New Year’s Eve is said to bring good luck and prosperity to the family for the coming year. Why 13 round fruits, you ask? 13 is a lucky number to the Chinese, and the fruits’ round shape resembles coins. Hence, wealth and prosperity. Eating 12 grapes at the stroke of midnight (one for each month of the year) is also said to bring wealth and luck.
