0. A common Latin American New Year’s tradition is to throw a glass or bucket of water into the street, tossing your woes and old tears away. Zany Traditions From Latin America To Ring In The New Year A man sells grapes, used in New Year's rituals, in Medellin, Colombia, on December 30, 2014. Today we'll talk about how we celebrate Christmas and special Christmas traditions in Latin America and Spain. My husband thought I was crazy when I first explained some of these traditions … However, this celebration isn’t only to bid farewell to the old year but to ensure the next one is even better. Countries tend to have their own unique, sometimes shared, often offbeat traditions to attract prosperity and good luck for the next 365 days. A man sells grapes, used in New Year's rituals, in Medellin, Colombia, on December 30, 2014. 7. Across the United States, many celebrate by popping champagne and counting down the seconds until the clock strikes midnight. Most of the Christmas rituals in Latin America begin on December 16th. Fire. December 29, 2020. Many Americans mark the new year with parties with friends and family. In Argentina they wear pink underwear to attract love, while in Chile and Venezuela they wear yellow colour underwear to bring abundance and … In Spain and some Latin American countries, one New Year’s tradition is to eat 12 grapes, one for each month of the coming year, to secure prosperity. At midnight, it’s tradition to grab a suitcase and run around the block in the hopes of traveling in the new year. Nicaragua also features flames on New Year’s. It’s all about the lentils. To start the New Year fresh and clean, most people in Latin America make sure that their homes are spotless by New Year’s Eve. The idea of ​​this ritual is to have 12 months of pure prosperity. _dc_gtm_UA-4403349-1 Believe it or not, this is a very strong superstition! Latin America. Eating twelve grapes. Many Latin Americans gather as a family to welcome the new year. She has been heavily influenced by Czech and Slavic musical traditions, as well as Latin American folk music. Wearing Yellow or Red Underwear. In Cuba, Puerto Rico, and Uruguay, they throw a bucket of water towards the street, the idea is to clean the way to the next year. Red underwear, for example, has been worn to attract love. Here are 10 Hispanic traditions you might not know, but definitely should! In Latin America there are many more traditions, I personally believe in some of them. Fire is used in many countries in Latin America to dispose of any negative vibes. New year’s eve is a common festivity around the world, and many countries celebrate it in different ways. Strange New Year's Traditions: Latin America Photogallery. December 30, 2017 by Vivian Nunez. Zany Traditions From Latin America To Ring In The New Year. The New Social Network. To bring good luck in the next 365 days, people from countries like Chile, Colombia, or Venezuela wear yellow underwear. Here's our guide to the countries and regions we know and love, across the whole of Latin America. These rituals are important since they help us begin the new year with hope and the drive to work harder to achieve our goals. Piñatas are the protagonists of New Year’s Eve in Mexico. Traditions are one of the best parts of New Year's Eve. 3. In Ecuador, Peru, and Colombia, they burn dolls that represent the negative of the year, and with them, they also burn notes with the bad memories of the year. Lina's passion for the continent where she was born really took off when she moved to Córdoba to study, spending the holidays travelling between Argentina and her native Colombia. December 10, 2015. Many people eat 12 grapes as the clock strikes midnight, making a wish for each grape... 2. they take it a step further with the Guerra de Sidra, or the the Cider War Festival. In Colombia, Peru, Ecuador, Panama and Paraguay they use ‘’año viejos’’ – or effigies – of people who played a big role in the news, politics or even one’s personal life throughout the previous year. Certain countries, especially in Latin America, believe that the color of your underwear can bring good things to you in the next 12 months. Friday The 13th: 13 Wacky Superstitions From Around The World. But opting out of some of these cookies may have an effect on your browsing experience. La Fiesta de Quinceañera – also known as a Quince Años, XV, Quinces, or La Fiesta Rosa – is a time-honored Latin American tradition which celebrates the transition from childhood to womanhood. Wearing the right colour of underwear is believed to have a big impact on the upcoming year. Outside of Carnival, there are no bigger celebrations in all of Latin America than those that take place to ring in the New Year. Many people think that walking with a suitcase, either around your home or around the block, will bring opportunities to travel in the new year. How many of these Latin American New Year’s rituals do you know? The candles are left to burn, the rest of the wax and food is collected and buried to promote good fortune and food abundance in the coming year. This tradition consists of creating a doll with the figure of a famous person during that year. You also have the option to opt-out of these cookies. There is a diverse landscape of Latin holidays celebrated around the globe. Here’s a look at some New Year’s Eve traditions in America. One of the most common traditions throughout Latin America is eating twelve grapes at the... 3. The following are cookies installed by the service. Therefore, you will see many people from the city at their local graveyards decorating the graves, eating and drinking with each other and celebrating. Latinxs traditions to welcome the new year. We also use third-party cookies that help us analyze and understand how you use this website. The famous Piñata a decorated container filled with candy and toys is suspended in the air to be broken by blindfolded kids with sticks. Latina; Holiday; Latin New Year's Traditions 15 New Year's Eve Traditions That Might Guarantee Good Luck in 2018 . 9. Walking in a circle with a suitcase As a steady creative force on the New York music scene for sixteen years, Marta collaborated with some of the best musicians from the Latin, jazz and world-music circles, and this experience has forged a dynamic mix of styles in her work. Fire is used in many countries in Latin America to dispose of any negative vibes. ¡Hola! WEAR. I am an Indian living in Peru. _dc_gtm_UA-4403349-3 36. In some countries, you have to hold money in your hand when the clock strikes 12. The seeds symbolize prosperity and good fortune, and in many countries they are eaten at midnight on New Year’s Eve. I love introducing my friends to these Latin American good luck superstitions for New Years. Burning “Año Viejos”. MUST. WHITE!!! Flexible, custom-made holidays to Latin America created to match your exact requirements: our tailor-made itineraries are as unique as the clients for whom they are designed. With every different country comes a slightly different New Year’s Eve tradition; and while firework displays and large parties with food and drink are quite common in a lot of countries, in Latin America there are some unique traditions that we’d love to share with you. Nicaragua has a tradition that is becoming increasingly popular: the popular burning of “El Viejo” or “La Vieja”, in which dolls made of wood and cotton are dressed in old clothing and usually appear to be smoking or drinking alcohol. Ricardo Sierra 28 December, 2020. If you find yourself in Latin America for New Year’s, here are some of the traditions you may encounter: Yellow underwear: In Peru, Chile, Ecuador, and Mexico, wearing yellow underwear on New Year’s Eve is said to bring good luck, though for it to work, you need to receive a new pair of yellow underwear … Rio’s NYE celebration can almost rival its own Carnival celebration in terms of size and grandeur. Across Central and South America, the 31st of December is about taking part in special rituals to see in the new year and say goodbye to the last one. WEARING YELLOW UNDERWEAR. If you choose the potato without skin, this means no money; partially skinned means a regular year, and the potato with a full skin means that you will have good fortune in the New Year. _gid The meaning is similar to the customs in Venezuela. If you’re interested in learning Spanish, exploring Latin culture is a great way to improve your language skills. Save my name, email, and website in this browser for the next time I comment. In Latin America, many of these traditions … 22 New Year's Eve Traditions The World Can Learn From Latin America. Our colourful newsletters are bursting with ideas for your next Latin American adventure. From a pair of socks to a t-shirt, wearing white has been a tradition in my family and the Hispanic culture for ages. People generally gather with friends at parties, in pubs, clubs, in the streets, or city squares to eat, drink, and celebrate the new year. It is thought to bring peace and prosperity for the year to come. 6. The ‘’año viejos’’’ are displayed after Christmas and burned in a bonfire at midnight on New Year’s Eve. Others prefer to be in a bar or disco surrounded by friends, music and party atmosphere, and a great part, enjoy walking through the streets to see the lights and observe the fireworks. Kicking off the year in El Salvador. So if you see Latinos sweeping at midnight, don’t think they are obsessed with cleaning. Love them or hate them, it's not a new year without making resolutions—bonus points if you end up sticking with them! Latin America covers a broad area and despite the fact that many individuals in Central and south usa share Christianity as a standard religion, traditions can differ dependent on exactly just what nation you are in. Throughout Latin America, there are quite a few unique traditions that are celebrated to ring out the old and ring in the new. Spend New Year’s Eve with dearly departed at a Chilean cemetery 1. And even though you may think of your grandparents as they are now, don't think they weren't having a good time on New Year's Eve when they were your age. JUMP TO blog post titled: "Don’t Miss These 12 Latin American Christmas and New Year’s Traditions".. Search our blog about all things Panama! Prepare for a fascinating journey full of historic gems and fiestas!. From wishing over grapes, potatoes under the bed, cleaning house, underwear choices, and ragdolls, the steps you need to take for the New Year can seem overwhelming at times. Red stands for luck in love and yellow represents happiness and fortune. In many Latin American countries, at midnight, people sweep their homes to get rid of any bad energy. At midnight you need to pick, without looking, one of the potatoes. June 14, 2017. Eating 12 grapes In recent years, this tradition has expanded across Latin America, with other colours representing a variety of New Year’s wishes. Required fields are marked *. NEW YEAR’S IN SPANISH: 10 GOOD-LUCK TRADITIONS 1. Top 10 NYE Celebrations in Latin America. Strange New Year's Traditions: Latin America Photogallery. At midnight you need to pick, without looking, one of the potatoes. _ga Holding coins or bills at midnight is thought to bring a fortune in various countries of Latin America. _gat Cleaning the house By Natalia Puertas Cavero. How will you be celebrating New Year’s Eve? Each year, billions of people around the globe gather together to celebrate the coming of the new year. _gat_UA-4403349-1 In Brazil, wearing new, white underwear (or dressing completely in white) while jumping seven waves, and/or placing flowers into the ocean is a way to wish for good luck and fortune. Every country has a particular way of celebrating and preparing for the holidays; we see our own cultural traditions and beliefs reflected in them. These notoriously extravagant coming of age parties are celebrated all throughout the region, with each nation observing their own unique traditions.Let’s take a look at how different … Here are a few of Latin America’s weird and wonderful traditions. Interesting Traditions by Nation. In Chile for example, people... 3. Valparaiso is so much more than Chile’s oldest port city. Sounds easy? Centuries ago in Britain, women would keep acorns in their pockets with the belief that doing so would help them maintain a youthful appearance. 10. Eating 12 grapes. A common New Year’s ritual in Mexico is to place candles on a white plate surrounded by lentils, beans, rice, corn, flour, and cinnamon. Your email address will not be published. Novenas/Posadas, throughout Latin America Novenas or Posadas is a tradition which starts 9 days before Christmas, re-enacting Mary and Joseph's voyage to Bethlehem and their search for a place to stay. Countries tend to have their own unique, sometimes shared, often offbeat traditions to attract prosperity and good luck for the next 365 days. New Year’s traditions in Ecuador and Latin America: My favorite part about New Year’s Eve is the traditions that I grew up with in Ecuador. Brasilia: Año Nuevo in Spanish or Ano Novo in Portuguese means New Year in Latin America. Not only is it considered the best NYE in this neck of the woods, but it’s also considered one of the best in the world! Another way to settle with the past is to sweep and clean the whole house. According to experts and Latin grandmothers, lentils bring prosperity and abundance. If you agree, we've got the best New Year's Eve traditions right here to help ring in 2020. After graduating in Computer Science, Paul spent seven months travelling from Colombia to Argentina and came home hooked on Latin America. Book with Journey Latin America. Certainly the most famous one from Spain (and followed by most Latin America countries today) is the tradition of eating the 12 grapes at the stroke of midnight, in order to bring good fortune for all 12 months of the upcoming year. This is second only to Rio’s massive firework display. There is a diverse landscape of Latin holidays celebrated around the globe. my world • cultural awareness. You’ll also find exclusive travel tips, first-hand client reviews and the chance to get your personal questions answered by our travel experts. In some countries, people put money in their shoes, and in Ecuador, they hide money around the house to bring prosperity in the New Year. Hello friends, thank you in advance to watch my video and i hope you have subscribed my channel. They believe that prosperity is closely related to the color yellow, so if on New Year’s Eve you see people dressed in yellow, they must be Colombian or Chilean. 5. It focuses on the verbs: llevar, correr, decir, and comer. Popular Traditions. The water is supposed to represent the person’s tears and suffering. Out of these cookies, the cookies that are categorized as necessary are stored on your browser as they are essential for the working of basic functionalities of the website. Here we select some of the most famous and quirky rituals to welcome the new year in Spain and Latin America. I love introducing my friends to these Latin American good luck superstitions for New Years. You can expect huge crowds, samba dancing, and parties that spill onto the street for this holiday. This might be one of the most unusual traditions of the list. Predict your financial situation with potatoes This website uses Google Analytics to track the website’s performance. Cleaning the house. Latin America is full of many New Year’s Eve traditions, it’s not so easy to just ring in the New Year, there is a ritual to ensure that 2018 will be better than 2017. In Uruguay this tradition is taken a step further with the Guerra de Sidra (The Cider War Festival) in Montevideo. _uetvid. Many in Latin America celebrate the storied approach to holiday meal prep and … This tradition seeks to get rid of the bad energy of the previous year. 7 New Year's Eve Traditions in Latin America 1. It also hosts one of the biggest New Year’s Eve firework shows in Latin America, clocking in at 25 minutes of constant fireworks. A classic custom in Peru and Colombia is to put three potatoes under your chair or sofa to predict your financial situation for the next year: one peeled, one partially peeled, and one unpeeled. This resource includes Las doce uvas, La ropa amarilla, Año Viejo y la maleta. In the Hispanic cuture, they celebrate the Quinceañera which is the Latina coming-of-age celebration when a girl turns 15 years old. In other countries, they put the money in shoes and in Ecuador they hide money around the house to bring prosperity in the New Year. Today we'll talk about 3 strange but typical traditions for New Year in Spain and Latin America. White represents rebirth, a new coming. Underwear, Dolls And More: Latin American New Year's Traditions Radio Ambulante's Maria Fe Martinez talks about different Latin American New Year's traditions, both in the U.S. and abroad. Latin New Year's Traditions 15 New Year's Eve Traditions That Might Guarantee Good Luck in 2018. A common Latin American New Year’s tradition is to throw a glass or bucket of water into the street, tossing your woes and old tears away. New Year's Eve ( Silvestr/Silvester) celebrations and traditions in Czech Republic and Slovakia are very similar. Many Latin Americans gather as a family to welcome the new year. Many meals and superstitions in Latin America revolve around lentils. Ecuador and its burning dolls. Having lived as a child in the Americas and Europe she found herself immediately attracted to Latin America. Eating 12 grapes at midnight As the clock strikes midnight on New Year’s Eve it is traditional in Colombia to eat one grape per chime – so 12 grapes in all – and make a wish each time you eat a grape! In Scotland, New Year's Eve, or Hogmanay, as they call the last day of the year, is a bigger deal than Christmas ("Auld Lang Syne" is a Scottish song, after all).The massive party goes on for days and incorporates age-old acts, such as first-footing. This website uses cookies to improve your experience while you navigate through the website. Special clothing, particular foods, traveling rituals and economic prosperity are some of the many issues to solve when it comes to New Year’s eve in the Latin American continent. In Chile for example, people write down things they would like to change on a piece of paper and then burn it. In Ecuador, effigies of important people including politicians, TV personalities, cartoons and... 2. This tradition came to Latin America all the way from Spain where it’s still very popular. These cookies will be stored in your browser only with your consent. Latin America's New Year's traditions: from throwing things to giving underwear. If you choose the potato without skin, this means no money; partially skinned means a regular year and the potato with a full skin means that you will have good fortune in the New Year. Speaking of financial well-being, proximity to money is always an important theme in Latin America. Get your inner Latina/o flowing and dance to the beats of local and live music througho… Celebrations generally go on past midnight into January 1 (New Year’s Day). A passion for the region runs through all we do, All our Consultants have lived or travelled extensively in Latin America, Up-to-the-minute knowledge underpinned by 40 years' experience, Book with confidence, knowing every penny is secure, Our insider knowledge helps you go beyond the guidebooks, We hand-pick hotels with character and the most rewarding excursions, Let us show you the Latin America we know and love. The color yellow represents good... 3. Here we select some of the most famous and quirky rituals to welcome the new year in Spain and Latin America. This tradition is carried on in most Spanish-speaking countries. Are you looking for ways to introduce New Year's Traditions to your elementary Spanish students? He is now Manager of the Tailor-made Department. Hannah is an invaluable part of our Group Tours team. The meaning is similar to the customs in Venezuela. 1) The Tradition of the 12 Grapes This is the most famous, extended and accepted tradition or ritual to welcome the New Year. This category only includes cookies that ensures basic functionalities and security features of the website. Culture. This ritual is very common in Venezuela and Colombia. We have to start the list off with the biggest and best New Years Eve celebration in South America: Rio de Janeiro. From wearing yellow underwear to eating 12 grapes to running around with luggage, Latinos are all about traditions on New Year's Eve. In Venezuela, people wrap 12 lentils in a money bill to improve financial well-being for the New Year. Plenty of traditions surround the theme of ‘out with the old.’ In many Hispanic countries, throwing a bucket of water out a door or window signifies renewal and burning the past. This website uses trusted third-party services to help us provide more relevant content to our visitors. Wearing the right shade of underwear New Year’s Eve Traditions in Latin America. In addition to grapes and red underwear, there are a couple more singular traditions. Our exciting range of articles on Latin America explore everything from iconic destinations and lesser-known cultural gems to delicious traditional recipes. Ben fell in love with Latin America on a six month backpacking trip from Colombia to Mexico in 1995. So now you know, the importance of colour in different traditions! by Lori Troyer on December 28th, 2010 | 3 Comments » Much of the same traditions can be found in many countries due to immigration and religious beliefs, but each country has individual differences exclusive to their … These are some of the traditions that Latinos have to celebrate the New Year: This tradition is celebrated in Colombia, Venezuela, Panama, and Ecuador. At midnight, it’s tradition to grab a suitcase and run around the block in the hopes of traveling in the new year. In most places, the partying begins on New Year’s Eve among family or friends, and most of the rituals take place at or around midnight. Last year, a group of Bolivians also tried to encourage wearing green underwear as a sign of hope. Strange New Year's Traditions: Latin America Photogallery at … Argentina for one, has a tradition where women wear pink underwear. New Year’s traditions in Ecuador and Latin America: My favorite part about New Year’s Eve is the traditions that I grew up with in Ecuador. EATING 12 GRAPES AT MIDNIGHT. New Year’s Eve is without a doubt one of the most celebrated and preferred parties for Latin Americans. Our holidays to Antarctica explore the spectacular landscapes and unique wildlife of this ice-smothered continent. From eating 12 grapes to stuffing your pockets with lentils, here are the 11 strangest Colombian New Year traditions. They are symbols of people and events from the passing year and are burned to say goodbye to the old year and welcome the new one. Nowadays, they are usually made of colored paper and small lights that attract good luck for the coming year. FREDY AMARILES GARCIA / AFP - … Your email address will not be published. The tradition is borrowed from Spain, and in some countries you also make wishes with each grape. Let us know in the comments! This 9-day period represents Mary's pregnancy and the events leading up to Jesus's birth. In Latin America, you can … One tradition that is counted as Spanish but has been spread to some countries (especially Latin America) is that of eating 12 grapes with each of the bells counting down to the new year.