México is a country full of superstitions and rites for whatever you like so over here we have a lot of rites that people make at the moment of the arriving of the new year.
I will list the ones I know. But many of them I never tried. I warn you in case you try them and didn't work!
1. Wear red underware if you want love and passion in your life. I remember a friend of my mother always giving us in christmas red underware for new year...
2. Wear yellow underware if you want money. Ok I want both but I think it will not be easy to find unde-rware with the two colors. I have to go shopping...
3. Sweep the entrance of your home to take out the bad energy. You have to this in the very moment of the entrance of the new year.
4. If you want to travel in the next year you have to take a suitcase in each hand and walk around your block. This also has to be at the very moment the year is entering.Now I am thinking how can you sweep the entrance while you walk around the block with two suitcases if you want both?
5. You have to put a gold ring in yor champagne cup, if you have a platinum ring or a diamond ring the more money you will get. If I have a diamond ring why would I want more money? I guess we never have enough money. Take care not to swallow it!!
6. Last but not least the 12 grapes. You have to take one with each chime of the clock indicating 12 o'clock. With each grape you have to think a wish you want to become true in the new year. This is the most traditional and the one we make every year. I don't really know if it works or it's luck but we are also spanish and in Spain is very traditional to eat the grapes with the chimes of the clock of La Puerta del Sol of Madrid. I you are going to try this buy small grapes, believe me you will end the chimes with your cheeks full of grapes while you kiss and hug your family.
I once did the rite of the red underware ( i didn't had boyfriend that year) and every year we take the 12 grapes at 12 o'clock.
But if you want to make the six of them is going to be hard. You got to wear an red and yellow underware. Sweep the entrance of your home, walk around your block with two suitcases, put a gold ring in your cup and eat the 12 grapes at the same time. If someone can achieve this I really admire him!!
What rites and traditions you have for the entrance of the new year?
PS: I don't know if the word for the sound the clock does when indicating an hour is ring. Over here we use the word "campanada" because it were Church bells the ones that indicated with their sound the hour.
**Update: Thank to know I know the word is chime. I already edited the post. Thank you Robin!
*** Update two: thank to now I know underware is spelled without - in the middle. Thank you!!
With friends like you all I am going to improve a lot!
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The bells chime :)
Nice list -- I've never been one for superstitions (though my MIL is *very* superstitious), but I like reading about them :)
Thank you!! I already edited the post!
Its funny to read about supertitions but sometimes is funnier to see people trying to make them all.
I've heard about the red underwear in Italy--I didn't know it was a tradition over on this side of the ocean, too.
I don't particularly have any New Year's traditions, but I really, really liked the fireworks when I've lived outside the US (Chile and Germany). I can't imagine doing them where I live now, though (Idaho). Brr!! Way too cold!
In México the red underwear is a tradition but in Panama for example not. Maybe is only this country of this side of the ocean.
Oh the fireworks!! Here we have a lot but it isn't as cold as Idaho.
Last but not least the 12 grapes.
Ah, I grew up doing this. When I was a kid, we used to do the grape thing every year. I was born in Madrid, Spain and came to Australia when I was seven.
I've dropped most of the supertitions & traditions, though. And hardly speak the language either. :/
Interesting. I love reading about superstitions. The only one I really adhere to is eating pork and sauerkraut on New Year's day. Mostly I just do it as an excuse to eat sauerkraut. :-) Another one we have is shooting a gun at midnight but I never did like that one.
Ooo, I like number one! I can do that!
Happy New Year to you!
Much sympathetic magic going on there in Mexico! I love it! Italians have a lot of these same traditions--like the sweeping one, and the suitcase one.
I love the sweeping out of the old, bad energy on the stroke of midnight - I may well try that one!
Wow! Thanks for posting this. I might try the grape one myself.
The only New Year's tradition I'm familiar with is popular in the Southern US. It's supposed to be good luck to ear black-eyed peas (which are actually a kind of bean) on New Year's. Yours are much more interesting and specific.
What a great list, these sound really fun! I may have to try the 12 grapes :)
Where in Mexico do you live? I just visited Mexico City this year which was my first visit to the country. Loved it!
In Hawaii where I'm from, the big New Year's tradition is firecrackers. Lots and lots of firecrackers, to the point where it causes air pollution, unfortunately. That, plus eating many different types of food :)
My husband was born also in Madrid and he lived there 30 years so he is very spanish. I also lived there when I married for a few years. It's a beautiful place! Also I want to visit Australia.
Yes number one is a easy one and also no one knows you are doing it!!
I hope you have a wonderful new year!
In the northern states of México they also shoot a gun on midnight.
Mmm pork, I will always find a way to eat pork! hahaha
Yes, is a very good idea to take out the bad energy of the year!
We are a country that believes a lot in magic. I don't know I you have read the book like water for chocolate by Laura esquivel. Is a beautiful book full of magic and traditions of México.
I believe all of these traditions came to Mexico from Spain and since at a time spain was from Rome I believe we all have a mix of traditions over here.
Remember to buy small and seedless grapes if not you will never eat them all with 12 chimes of the clock. Oh and remember the wishes!!
I will also make it. I hope your wishes come true!
I think there must be more rites and traditions. Mexico is a country that believes a lot in magic so maybe for the next year I can find more.
Ear black eyed peas... I never heard that! Another tradition for the list.
I do the 12 grapes every year since I was a kid. Is a good tradition! I hope your wishes come true!
I live in Mexico city. I'm glad you loved it. Many people don't like it because it is full of contrast. I think that is what makes it beautiful.
I like firecrackers but thank God that over here they don't use them a lot. We certainly don't need more pollution.
Different types of food! we do that also but I thought that was not a tradition was my family eating habits...:)
I hope your wishes come true as well!
Argh! That should be "eat" black-eyed peas, not "ear"!
This was fun! :-)
I am glad you liked it!
Ahhh I can certainly do that! I was thinking in maybe using black eyed peas as earings.
Earrings? Well, now, that would be a brand new tradition!
p.s. You'll have to let me know if I make mistakes in Spanish. I will pretend they are just typos, too.
And I make another mistake. Today is the day of the mistakes. It is earrings with doble r!!
Yes, I will tell you if you have mistakes in Spanish. Although I believe that are going to be fewer than mine.:)
I love reading about superstitions. I don't believe them, but it's fascinating to know them. Now, that being said . . . it has been hammered into my head that you eat black-eyed peas on New Years day. So I do. more out of habit than anything. And you are not supposed to to do laundry on new years day, something about bringing in the dirt of the old year onto the beginning of the new year. I always forget and my mom says, "TRACY!!! ARE YOU DOING LAUNDRY???!!! You just brought back luck into the new year." I just shrug and say, "Well, you told me never to leave the house with dirty underwear...so, what would you have me do?"
hahaha you made my laugh with the laundry thing. I never heard of that but If you think it it can make sense. Well all the supertitions make sense to some degree.
I will not do laundry!
And I actually got it wrong. My mom and I talked today, she said it's "You don't do laundry on the last and first Friday of the month because you will watch a loved one out of your life." I grumbled...I really needed to do laundry today. Oh well.
Oh my God ! if I don't do the laundry also that fridays I will have a lot of laundry the rest of the days. Well I guess I have to reschedule my laundry.:)