The New Year celebrations throughout Latin America are full of traditions to attract good fortune and other blessings. Today we’ll yell you about some of the most popular ones!
How many of these Latin American New Year’s rituals do you know?
Comer uvas: That’s right, eating grapes. This tradition came to Latin America all the way from Spain where it’s still very popular. On December 31st, when the clock strikes midnight, each person must eat 12 grapes; one grape per bell chime while visualizing all the good things they hope to achieve or get in the coming year.
Barrer la casa: In many countries, people sweep their house at midnight to get rid of all the bad energies and have a fresh start on New Years. In countries like Cuba, it’s also popular to throw a bucket of water out the window.
Caminar con una maleta: If you want to travel in the New Year, grab a suitcase with some clothes on it and go for a midnight walk around the block!
Ropa interior de colores: One of the most popular traditions accross Latin America is to wear new underwear to greet the New Year, but the choice of color is very important. In some countries like Argentina, you have to wear pink, in some like Chile, yellow, and in some others the color you select represents what you wish to receive: red for love, yellow for riches, green for health, blue for peace. Extra luck if the underwear was a gift. A variation of this colorful tradition is to light candles of the color of your wish.
Quemar calendarios, muñecos, etc: using fire to cleanse your life of bad energies is another popular tradition. In some countries, people burn paper or wooden dolls while others burn calendars of the year that ends, notebooks, papers, anything that symbolizes the negative elements they wish to get rid of.
Lentejas: Lentils are the star of the New Year in many countries because they’re believed to represent prosperity and good fortune. Some include lentils on their menues and some stuff them uncooked on pockets, wallets or purses, but either way, lentils are a New Year’s must!