There are many Mexican traditions for New Year's Eve, and many have been shared here on the Local Scoop. One favorite tradition is to eat twelve grapes at midnight on 31st December, making a wish on each grape. The tradition is to eat twelve grapes fast along with the twelve chimes of the clock at midnight, to bring luck for each of the months of the upcoming year!
But the most fun tradition is the yellow or red underwear tradition. Yes, you read that correctly. If you wear yellow underwear you will have financial success in. If you wear red underwear you will have more love in your life in the upcoming year. And no you cannot wear both. But what you wear will influence the next twelve months so choose wisely.
Underwear, Leftovers and New Years Day!
New Years rituals are just the beginning of welcoming in the New Year. Little fires are lit in community squares and people’s homes to burn off the bad spirits and energy from the previous year. The next 12 months are clean, fresh and open to new energy.
The first twelve days of the new year are watched closely, as the weather experienced from the 1st to the 12th of January will determine the health of the upcoming crops. This is called cabañuelas, a name and ritual that comes from the Maya.
The final tradition that we sink our teeth into again and again is recalentado – the reheated. All the leftovers from New Years dinner are served again at noon to new or the same guests that brought in the New Year the night before. Most of the recalentado dishes are thought to be better than the actual New Years meal.
Super cool stuff and all of these traditions are still observed today. Many traditions have been adopted by those of us who have made Mexico their home!
We just bought Our red underwear, what about you? :)