Latino New Year: Uvas, panties, and more…

The New Year is coming! Are you prepared?  I’m not talking about the champagne, the copas, or the noisemakers. I’m talking about the uvas, the panties, and the suitcases!

Here are a few of our wonderful traditions to bring in the New Year:

Uvas de la Suerte: At midnight, 12 grapes are handed out in cups or bowls to every guest. Each grape symbolizes a wish or a resolution for each month of the year. I usually take my grapes into another room so I can reflect on my short-term goals for the future as I eat them. I love this tradition, but my only request?  Seedless, please! Having to spit the seeds out interrupts my train of thought!

Red or gold panties: Imagine the look on my face when my cousin said she had a gift for me and it was a pair of red granny panties. “To be lucky in love,” she said. “Wear them on New Year’s Eve.” I don’t wear them every single year, but if I feel I need a little extra luck in the love category, I’ll wear them. If it’s luck with money that you want, wear gold or yellow panties.

Packing a suitcase: If you wish for safe traveling this year, come with your suitcase packed. At midnight, after all the kissing and hugging, take it with you outside for a walk around the block. For those of us in the colder climates, this might take a little extra effort. I have yet to participate. Instead, I giggle and watch my luggage-carrying relatives, as well as some neighbors, walk up and down the block from the warmth and comfort of the window.

Other traditions that I’ve heard of, but have never experienced directly include:

• cleaning the house for a fresh start to the New Year
• throwing a bucket of water out the window, as a way of “throwing out” all the bad energy of the old year
• hiding or leaving money around the house to attract prosperity

Traditions are what make the holidays special. There’s a certain comfort in knowing exactly what to expect when you spend the New Year celebrating with your family. And so I leave you with a song that I come to expect every New Year’s Eve at exactly 5 minutes to 12, a tradition I plan to keep alive long after my own parents are gone. Happy New Year, everyone!

[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1eM7SSqRqDM&feature=related]

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Disclaimer: The views and opinions expressed in this article are solely those of the author and should not be understood to be shared by Being Latino, Inc.

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