New Year’s Eve is a time of excitement, reflection, and cultural traditions that often blend superstition, hope, and family. From the bustling streets of Buenos Aires to the coastal cities of Colombia, Latin American traditions for New Years vary widely but share common themes of good luck and fortune. Let’s look at some of the most cherished and customary Hispanic New Year’s traditions in Latin America.
The 12 grapes for good luck
One of the most well-known traditions across Latin America may be eating 12 grapes at midnight. This custom has its origins in Spain but has spread throughout the Spanish-speaking world. Each grape can represent a wish or goal for one of the 12 months in the new year. When the clock strikes midnight, people eat one grape at a time, hoping that each bite brings good luck and prosperity in the future.
Walking around with luggage
In countries like Colombia and Ecuador, it’s a popular tradition to take a walk around the block with a suitcase in tow, either New Year’s Eve or New Year’s Day. This ritual symbolizes the hope for more travel and adventure in the coming year. Depending on where you are and what you believe, there may be different opinions on what suitcase you walk with, how new it is, and what it’s filled with.
The Año Viejo doll
The “Año Viejo” doll, meaning Old Year in English, is a crucial part of a New Year’s celebration for Colombia, Panama, Peru, and Ecuador. For this tradition, people create life-sized scarecrows, often stuffed with fireworks and symbolic items, which can be a physical representation of the past year. These dolls, sometimes humorously dressed to reflect a public figure or personal events, are set on fire at midnight. The burning celebration represents leaving behind the past year's misfortunes and mistakes, making space for positivity and potential opportunities in the upcoming months.
Wearing yellow or red underwear
A fun and colorful tradition in Latin American countries is wearing yellow or red underwear to ring in the new year. This tradition may stem from pagan traditions, where clothing worn on New Year’s Eve could potentially grant you favors from the gods. Yellow is believed to attract prosperity and wealth, while red symbolizes love, passion, and romance. What country you live in or where your family is from may determine what traditional color is worn for the holiday.
Sweeping and cleaning for a fresh Start
The ritual of cleaning the house before New Year’s Eve is widespread in Latin America, and it carries a symbolic meaning. Sweeping out the old year, sometimes even sweeping towards the door, is thought to rid the house of negative energy. In some regions, families will sprinkle water around the house for purification, to help issue in a fresh start for the new year.
Lentils for prosperity
Lentils are more than just a food staple in countries like Chile, Colombia, and Peru, but can also be used as a symbol of abundance and wealth. A tradition dating back to the Roman empire, lentils were often believed to resemble little coins. The legume’s resemblance to money and its connection to forthcoming prosperity has carried through to modern times, where people carry a small bag of lentils or eat a spoonful at midnight on New Year’s.
Other popular traditions
Latin America is made up of more than 30 countries, each with their own traditions and customs. Fireworks are a common display across the board, lighting up the night sky as people celebrate the arrival of the new year. Some people in Latin America write down wishes or regrets on a piece of paper and burn them, which can symbolize the release of one’s desires or past burdens. New Year’s Eve traditions may also involve special meals, like bacalao (dried and salted codfish) in Mexico, which can bring families together before the year ends. Though celebratory foods and beliefs may vary from country to country, the sense of hope and excitement is universal.
New Year’s Eve in Latin America is a lively, joyful occasion, filled with meaningful traditions that reflect the cultural richness of the region. At Infinity Insurance Agency, Inc., we know how important these festivities are for embracing tradition and celebrating with family. Though the upcoming months can feel uncertain, having an auto insurance policy may be able to help you avoid financial challenges in the new year. For a free, personalized insurance quote, you can call IIA at 1-855-378-4705 today.