7 Popular Latino traditions for New Year’s Eve

The Latino community in the United States is prepared to welcome the New Year.

It’s time to remember the traditions, rituals and customs that arrived from different places to take root amongst us Latinos living in the U.S.

SEE ALSO: JenCarlos Canela will welcome 2015 by making history

Here are the seven most popular New Year’s Eve traditions practiced by Latinos all over the world.

1) The Tradition of the 12 Grapes

This is the most famous, extended and accepted tradition or ritual to welcome the New Year. There are many Hispanic, Latino and Latin American families in general, that customarily place 12 grapes in a little bowl for each family member at the dinning table. The tradition also states that a grape should be eaten to each of the 12 clock chimes at midnight on December 31st. In addition, a wish can be made to each chime. In some case, there are added details for a more complex ritual. For example, eating the grapes standing up on the left leg, so that way you would enter the New Year on the right foot.

2) Cleaning of the House Ritual

A tradition from Mexico is the ritual of housecleaning before midnight on New Year’s Eve. You have to sweep and clean the entire house inside out, especially the corners and little-used spots. This ritual would remove negative energies in the house and allow the entry of “good waves” and new energy. Some families also throw away the elements of cleaning such as broom, shovel, etc.

3) New Lingerie

One of the more fun -and sexy- traditions that is growing among the young generation, is to use brand-new lingerie or underwear of certain colors on New Year’s Eve. The last day of the year you must wear brand new yellow lingerie or underwear if you want to attract money and prosperity during the coming year. On the other hand, if what’s missing is love and happiness, your underwear must be red.

4) Lentils of Prosperity

Lentils…it’s a Latin American tradition that would be useful to attract prosperity and money for those who believe in it. You have to place raw lentils in pockets and in all places in which you’d like to see money in abundance.

It’s said that there’s such faith in lentils that some people tend to fill their pockets with them during the last night of the year. Others, more discrete and persistent, place twenty of the biggest and most brilliant lentils in a very small cotton fabric, preferably white.

You have to carry it with you during the previous seven days in your purse or pocket. Each time you touch it or see it, it recalls financial aspirations for the coming year.

5) The Desire to Travel

In order to attract the possibility of making that dream trip come true in the course of the following year, some people walk seven times in circles carrying a suitcase inside the room. Others, instead, take a walk around the block carrying the suitcase.

6) Throw Water out the Window

The tradition comes from Puerto Rico, where it is traditional to throw a bucket of water out the window in order to remove “bad energy” from the house. Previously, the bucket must go through each room or area of the house. It’s like collecting all the bad vibes and throwing them out.

7) Gold and Champagne

In some affluent Hispanic families it’s customary to celebrate the end of the year and the beginning of the new by toasting with glasses filled with champagne and a golden object placed inside. Rings, chains, cameos or any small gold object is useful for this ritual of prosperity.

SEE ALSO: How to stick to your New Year’s resolutions

It is advisable to remember the content in the glass at the end of the toast!! Happy New Year!

(function(d, s, id) {

var js, fjs = d.getElementsByTagName(s)[0];

if (d.getElementById(id)) return;

js = d.createElement(s); js.id = id;

js.src = “//connect.facebook.net/en_GB/sdk.js#xfbml=1&appId=313098648827735&version=v2.0”;

fjs.parentNode.insertBefore(js, fjs);

}(document, “script”, “facebook-jssdk”));

The post 7 Popular Latino traditions for New Year’s Eve appeared first on Voxxi.