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The New Year is all about new beginnings, starting over, and reinventing yourself. Each country has its own way of celebrating New Year’s Eve, or “Nochevieja,” with rituals that can help bring closure and focus on what’s next.
Rituals, or “cábalas,” are an essential part of Latin American culture, often passed down from generation to generation, reflecting its cultural diversity and rich history. Call it manifestation, call it superstition, but what’s true is that the mind is a powerful tool capable of bringing about change in our lives through focus and willpower.
So what are you looking for this upcoming year? Your amorcito? A new job? Traveling around the world? Keeping our traditions alive is wonderful whether you genuinely believe in these rituals or are just doing them for fun! Read on to find a Latino New Year’s ritual that fits your needs.
Getting Under The Table
Photo by Liza Bakay
A popular tradition in Mexico, it may feel silly, but hey, it’s all about the intention. Plus, some people swear by it every year. Just a few seconds before the clock strikes midnight, run and hide under the table. Focus on what it is that you want for your love life. If it helps, picture yourself with your dream partner. Some people also combine this ritual with eating the 12 grapes, so make sure you bring them with you. Hopefully, you’ll soon get the tías off your back asking, “Y el novio?”
Wearing Red Underwear
Photo by Penki ir
Red is the color of love, romance, and passion. Wanna find your soulmate? Reignite the fire in an existing relationship? Legend says if you wear a pair of red underwear on New Year’s Eve, love will surely come your way! Regardless of whether it works, there’s something about wearing some stunning red lingerie underneath a killer outfit that could have you feeling some type of way and projecting that out to the world. Get it, girl!
Throwing Water Out The Window
Photo by Mehmet Turgut Kirkgoz
Called “El Baldazo” in Uruguay or “El Cubazo” in Cuba, this tradition consists of throwing a bucket (or a cup if you don’t want to be wasteful) of water out to the streets to remove any bad energy still lurking inside your home. Before throwing it out, the cup of water must be passed around each area of the house. It’s believed that this way, the bad energy is collected inside the cup and cast out of your home, allowing you to welcome the new year surrounded with positive energy.
Sweeping Your House From The Inside Out
Photo by Daniel von Appen on UnsplashDuring the first few minutes of the New Year, Chilean tradition says if you want to remove any malas vibras from your home, you must sweep the house from the inside out. It doesn’t have to be tedious, though (it probably won’t work if you’re cleaning the house grumpily anyway). Instead, have everyone bring a broom and make it a family ritual! Blast some cumbias, have fun with it, dump any dust or trash in a trashcan outside your house, and you’re off to a clean, fresh start.
Throwing Last Year’s Calendar Out The Window
Photo by Photo By: Kaboompics.com
In countries like Argentina and Uruguay, calendars and old documents are shredded and thrown out the window, a gesture that symbolizes getting rid of the old and making space for the new. Even office workers participate in it! If throwing paper out the window is not an option (you might get fined for it in the U.S.), burning them in a fire-safe container is also a great way to symbolically say goodbye to everything you don’t need anymore. Adiós a lo que no te sirve!
Burning An Effigy
Quema de años viejos (15979407538).jpg - Wikimedia Commons
Or a mini version of one, anyway. In Ecuador, burning effigies, also known as “Años Viejos,” is believed to destroy all the negative things that went on over the past year and bring about good luck and happiness for the next. Some Ecuadorians construct life-size papier-mâché dolls made to look like famous people or political figures, or just buy any old cartoon character piñata and then throw a block party where it will be set on fire at midnight.
Burning may seem like an act of anger, but it’s a symbolic way of closing a chapter in one’s life and celebrating the birth of a new one. It’s a deeply meaningful tradition for Ecuadorians that has been adopted in other countries like Uruguay, Mexico, Cuba, Colombia, and Venezuela.
Using Lentejas to Attract Abundance
Lentil Soup | 33/365 - February 2, 2010 Recipe here | Emily Carlin
In many cultures around the world, lentils, with their coin-like shape, are a symbol of abundance and prosperity. In Latin America, there are all kinds of ways lentils are used to manifest financial stability for the upcoming year. Some will eat a bowl of sopa de lentejas at midnight, others plant them, and others stuff their purses and wallets with them. Rice is also a popular grain used to represent prosperity. However you want to do it, just make sure you have enough grains in your pantry!
Gifting A Sheep
Photo by Magda Ehlers
A tradition commonly seen in Mexico, sheep are associated with abundance and good fortune. Who couldn’t use some extra “lana” in their life? It is said that receiving a decorative sheep as a gift, or giving one, will bring luck and prosperity! It has to be a gift, though. Otherwise, the magia is broken. Afterward, you’ll have to hang or display it near the door, calling the money into your home. There’s even a mantra you can recite to supercharge your good luck sheep, it goes “Borreguito de la montaña, has que con tu lana junte dinero cada mañana.”
Eating 12 Grapes
12 Grapes Before Midnight | Chris Oakley | Flickr
Arguably the most widely practiced of all, this tradition is said to have originated in Spain dating back from at least 1895. While in other cultures, they’ll be cheering with a glass of champagne as the clock strikes midnight, you’ll find Latinos having a quiet, rather intense moment as they focus on eating 12 grapes and assigning a special wish for each one. You’re supposed to eat them at each strike of the clock before midnight for maximum effectiveness. But no rush, mija. Better safe than sorry!
Writing What You Want, Then Burning It
Photo by cottonbro studio
Write down your wishes, things you want to accomplish, or things you want to change in the upcoming year on 12 separate pieces of paper. After you’re done writing, burn them in a safe container. In Chile, this is a powerful way of manifesting these thoughts into reality. Use this as a chance to reflect on the past year, let go of anything you don’t want to take with you going forward, and focus on what you really want. It can be very cathartic.
Running Around the Block with a Suitcase
Photo by Oleksandr P
Popular in Mexico, Cuba, Colombia, and Puerto Rico, this tradition involves dusting off a suitcase and taking it for a ride around the block! Bonus points if your family sends you off as if you’re actually going on an around-the-world trip. Legend says this will guarantee a year filled with new places, people, and experiences! It might look funny to the neighbors, but joke’s on them. You’ll be too busy traveling the world to care.
Bonus: Make Your Chonies Work For You!
Photo by Photo By: Kaboompics.com
This list couldn’t be complete without a quick run-down of the most popular underwear colors and what they claim to attract. Whether it’s love, money, or health, put your calzones to work this New Year’s Eve!
- Red: Attracts love, romance, and passion. Wear them if el amor de tu vida is taking too long.
- Yellow: Bring money, prosperity, abundance, and financial stability into your life. Put them on to keep those dollars coming.
- White: Represents peace, harmony, and calmness. It could be helpful for those with a hectic lifestyle who just want to chill.
- Black: Associated with luxury, power, and sexuality. Get those alpha Latina vibes flowing and attract everything you want, girl!
- Green: The color of health, good luck, and protection. Wear them for all-around good fortune!
- Blue: Believed to bring balance and stability. Good for making that elusive personal project come to life or getting that job you always wanted.
Our traditions are an essential part of who we are and a reminder of where we come from, timeless gifts given to us by our tatarabuelos. That said, we can always create our own rituals and pass them down for generations to come! What New Year’s ritual does your familia do every year? We’d love to hear it. Tag us on Instagram @theluzmedia.
Feliz Año Nuevo from the Luz Team!
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Latinos have a profound connection to the Catholic religion, an enduring relic of Spanish colonization. Praying, rituals, and generally thanking God are important cultural and religious habits deeply seeded in the culture.
December 12th is a significant religious and cultural celebration in Mexico, which marks the culmination of events told in the famous story of the Virgin Mary appearing to Juan Diego, a peasant, in Mexico City as a dark-skinned woman who spoke to Diego in his native tongue, Náhuatl. The day is recognized as the feast day of Our Lady of Guadalupe, and the date it is observed with pilgrimages, processions, Masses, and various festivities.
Why did the Virgin Mary Appear before Juan Diego?
According to the well-told story, Juan Diego, a peasant in Mexico, claimed to have seen the Virgin Mary on the Hill of Tepeyac. She told Juan Diego to instruct the local bishop to build a church in her honor on that site, but when Juan Diego delivered the message to the bishop, he didn't believe Juan Diego, who after all was just a lowly peasant.
Undeterred, the Virgin appeared to Juan Diego again, and this time, she told Juan Diego to gather roses, which were out of season, and present them to the bishop. Juan Diego complied and when he opened his cloak to reveal the roses, an image of the Virgin Mary miraculously appeared on the fabric. This image is now venerated as the Our Lady of Guadalupe.
Photo by Emmanuel Acua on Unsplash
The Site of the Virgin Mary Appearance
The Streets are Filled with Processions
Many Mexican and other Latin-American households pay homage to the Virgin by hanging photos or building altars of all sizes year-round. During the day of the Virgin, the streets are filled with people vibrating with love for Nuestra Señora Salvadora. The streets are filled with resounding conversations and colorful flowers, and as people find Guadalupe, they walk the streets and honor her presence. In Mexico City, people march the entire street to the Basílica de Guadalupe, singing, surrounded by food stands, and people swelling with love, devotion, and pride of the Virgen de Guadalupe.
The march can be so deeply meaningful to some people that they march on their knees.
miguel.cardenas, CC BY 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons
It's a Celebration and a Family Affair
Figures of la Virgen, dancing to the rhythm of the drums, incienso, fireworks, and food can be found in cities throughout Mexico. It's a joyous moment for many families because it’s finally the day to celebrate and thank her for her blessings. You can find la Virgen de Guadalupe paintings on random walls that often get serenaded with rancheras and baladas.
The vibe is a community celebration. Children run around dressed as little Dieguitos, with their painted bigotes, sandalias, and sombreros. In churches, you can see people recreating the tale, putting on a big scene of how it all happened: the manto, the flowers, and the mysticality of it all.
Photo by Juan Manuel Montejano Lopez
La Virgen de Guadalupe: Symbol of Hope
People vibrate with pride and love, while many others publicly declare how their lives were changed by miracles la Virgen de Guadalupe created for them.
La Virgen de Guadalupe is now a beacon of hope and light for millions of Mexicans but she's also turned into a cultural icon for many others. Understanding the origin story of the Virgin helps explain why the day is so sacred, but it also helps explain why she's such a staple to Mexican culture, even for the non-religious.
Photo by Friar Sergio Serrano, OP
Thanksgiving is such a weird holiday.
As far as my knowledge goes, not a lot of people in Latin America celebrate it but many are aware of this U.S. holiday. As a native Salvadoran, growing up I remember that I thought it was weird to have a holiday that’s a day to just be thankful. We perceived it differently. Later I realized what Thanksgiving actually commemorated: a day to celebrate, but to celebrate how European colonizers had taken advantage of Native Americans.
However, the concept of Thanksgiving continues to evolve and it’s leaning less on the false narrative of shared mutual support between Native Americans and Pilgrims, and more as a chance to have time off and spend it with your loved ones.
This means that critical questions about the day continue. Should Thanksgiving be celebrated? How do we celebrate it respectfully? Should it even be called Thanksgiving anymore? And what does this mean for the U.S. Latinx community that has so many indigenous roots?
Being thankful for our blessings
Photo by Kampus Production
The Latinx community is diverse. For some people, Thanksgiving is a perfect day to be thankful for all the blessings they have in their lives. Being a community that has often endured many hardships, being mindful of all the good things in their lives feels very necessary.
This year especially, being thankful and gathering with loved ones feels even more important and meaningful due to COVID-19 and its harsh impact on our lives.
Friendsgiving and Lots of Food
Photo by Gonzalo Guzmán García
A long weekend? Tons of food? Sounds like an opportunity to gather around with your loved ones and friends to eat delicious traditional foods like tamales, panes con pavo, pozole, tres leches, or not traditional food - the point is the gathering and the eating.
Food is significant in our culture, so having a day to make a big deal out of it, is most definitely a good reason to gather ‘round. Any time people join and cook dishes together it adds warmth and love to a cold season.
A part of assimilating
Photo by Studio Urbano
For many newly arrived Latinos in the U.S., Thanksgiving is a holiday that provides an opportunity to take part in a new culture. They might not know the true origins of the holiday, but it will definitely be celebrated because that’s what’s traditionally done.
When first arriving in a new country, it’s expected for you to fit in as quickly as possible. So it makes sense to adapt to their celebrations without hesitation. Thanksgiving is another rule to follow, and it’s easier to do so when it often comes in the form of a long weekend to spend time with your loved ones or with yourself.
Facing the real truth
Yuri Long, CC BY 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons
The myth of Thanksgiving covers up the bloody American past that’s filled with atrocious acts against Indigenous people, the Wampanoags, specifically, so the shock settles in as soon as the myth begins to be dismantled. How can we celebrate such an atrocious moment in history?
Pretending nothing happened doesn’t cut it. Many indigenous people take this day to mourn those lost and reflect on what was suffered. Part of being grateful for a bounty of food and loving company should also include being grateful to those who involuntarily sacrificed everything in order for this holiday to even exist.
So where’s the talk now?
By Melissa Doroquez - CC BY-SA 2.0
Indigenous people point out how necessary it is to start conversations about what happened to them on these dates. Organizations like the United American Indians of New England use this day to make a mourning day to acknowledge the hard truth. Some schools are recently beginning to address the falsehoods of Thanksgiving and working with young people on how to retell the correct history.
Understanding the nuances of the day can help heal this very broken nation and being mindful of how you can help tell accurate history can start moving justice forward. Telling the truth will ultimately reverberate across the globe, not just in the U.S.