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Leave it to the Latino community when it comes to New Year’s Eve tradition. As one of the Latino favorite seasons, creating memories with family and friends is as important as respecting and continuing the good fortune rituals passed down generation through generation.
These practices are also a fantastic way to manifest and anticipate a great year. While belief varies in each country, Latin Americans don’t play when inviting good fortune to their lives.
© HolaTherefore, we enlisted a few options that you can implement into your life and share with the upcoming generations.
Eating 12 grapes at midnight
- Each of the grapes — 12 to be exact— represent each month of the year. At midnight, while everyone is jumping, crying, and hugging, step aside for a couple of seconds, eat the grapes and ask for 12 special wishes.
Burn incense or sage with all of your windows open
- Burning incense sticks, palo santo, or sage with your windows open will push away all the negative energy and help you and yours start the new year fresh and clean.
Go to the ATM and fill your wallet or pockets
- According to the tradition, receiving the new year with money in your pocket, wallets, or handbags would help you keep the cash flowing.
Grab your suitcase and run
- Grab a suitcase and walk out of your home to secure travel and new adventures in the new year.
© HolaRed, green and yellow are the colors of the night
- Red underwear symbolizes love, green is for money, and yellow calls for prosperity. Luckily the tradition doesn’t prohibit wearing them all colors simultaneously.
Broom the bad juju away
- Take a broom and sweep out your door to get rid of any bad vibe following you closely.
Are you done with the grapes? Start kissing!
- Keep love, affection, and closeness flowing all year.
Eat a lentil soup
- As one of the first foods to be cultivated by humans, lentils represent prosperity and are highly valued. Their shape resembles money.
Burn a “muñeco”
- Some Latin American countries adopted the cathartic tradition of burning a doll representing the year that just has passed—usually, the dolls are effigies of well-known people.
Throw a bucket of water out a window
- If you live in an apartment, make sure the area is clear, and throw a bucket of water out a window for renewal.
