Happy New Year Latin Style: Unusual South American Customs for Bringing in the New Year


Many South Americans believe that if you carry an empty suitcase around the block on New Year's Day you will be fortunate to travel during the course of the year. When my elderly neighbor sauntered out of her front gate in Cali, Colombia with a beat-up valise she'd dusted off for the occasion, she brushed off my queries brusquely.

"Don't bother me now! I'm leaving!"

Minutes later, her "tour" complete, she confided her desires to "see the states" this year.
According to her, a voyage this year was now, "in the bag".

Around the middle of December you begin to notice a disproportionately large number of fruit and vegetable street vendors starting to sell grapes. Grapes are everywhere by Christmas. Green grapes, purple grapes, mixed grapes - they roll down the street and squish beneath your careless feet as you stroll market areas and shopping districts. Eating 12 grapes at or near midnight of New Year's Eve will bring you good luck throughout the New Year. Green grapes are preferred by the majority, but any will suffice I was told by Anna Lucia who walked into the room with a bag of mixed grapes ample enough to produce a case of "vino". Happy New Year CELEBRATION 2020

"You're not planning to eat all those, are you?" I chided.

"No, they're not just for me. They're for my family too."

I remembered that she and her husband have five children. Add in the extended family and well, enough said. Haven't had your twelve yet? Hurry up, there's still time.

A Bundled Sheaf of Wheat

A black youth stood on a downtown Pasto, Colombia corner hovering over a five-gallon bucket full of bundled sheaves of wheat. Each was wrapped with a brightly colored ribbon or two. Some were enhanced even further with a flower or small bouquet. People up and down the streets walked with a similar-looking sheaf held upright out in front of them like a siren in front of a fire engine. Crossing the Zocalo, or main square downtown, a young girl sitting on a park bench waved her sheaf at us like a magic wand.

"That's a new one on me", I said to my companion when she explained.

"If you hang a bundled sheaf of wheat in your home it's very good luck."

She continued, "It has twelve stalks of wheat in each bundle".

"How much for one?" I asked the youth.

We quickly bargained to a lower price.

"Are you sure there're twelve in here?" I questioned, not wanting to get short-changed.

"Oh yeah. Go ahead and count them."

When my partner responded, "No there're only eleven."

He quickly snapped back, "No way! Count them again."

We did and there were twelve. This New Year's luck thing is serious business. The flowered sheaf stands guard now on the bookcase over my desk. Wish me luck, okay?

The Color Yellow

Not all mind you, but quite a few Latinos in Colombia and Ecuador use the color yellow for the New Year. There are a number of ways to do it. You can paint a room yellow. Place something yellow in the room. Wear a yellow item of clothing and you'll shower yourself with fortune for the New Year. For reasons which as yet elude me, a favorite is to wear yellow underwear. (The preferred color in Mexico is red.) Both men and women have a pair or two on hand for the occasion - or so I've been repeatedly told. Okay, okay, I'll fess up; I have a couple of pairs of yellow underwear myself. So call me fickle. I have red ones too. Do I wear a pair for New Year's? I'll never tell!



Be sure to read "How to Use Three Potatoes and a Stuffed Dummy for Bringing in the New Year" for more unusual Latin American New Year's customs. It's online at: http://bettereflteacher.blogspot.com/

Happy New Year! ... and get that suitcase out!

Prof. Larry M. Lynch is an English language teaching and learning expert author and university professor in Cali, Colombia. Now YOU too can live your dreams in paradise, find romance, high adventure and get paid while travelling for free.

For more information on entering or advancing in the fascinating field of teaching English as a Foreign or Second Language send for his no-cost PDF Ebook, "If You Want to Teach English Abroad, Here's What You Need to Know", immediate delivery details and no-obligation information are available online now at: http://bettereflteacher.blogspot.com/

Need professional, original content or articles for your blog, newsletter or website? Have a question, request, or want to receive more information or to be added to his articles and teaching materials mailing list? Then contact the author at this website for a prompt response.


Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

HOPE:" Hope is not the closing of your eyes to the difficulty, the risk, or the failure. It is a trust that if I fail now, I shall not fail forever; And if I am hurt, I shall be healed. It is a trust that life is good, love is powerful and the future is full of promise! Author unknown Powerful words, don't you think? As I was struggling to write this month's newsletter, I stumbled across this quote I keep in my wallet. It really moved me this time and I kept coming back to it, because it reminds me of what the New Year holds for each of us; hope! Hope for a better tomorrow that is filled with greater health, love, peace and happiness, etc. The New Year represents a fresh start, clean slate or second chance. It's the time of year when we reflect on the past and renew our commitment to become our best selves and do more than we've previously done. To paraphrase Denzel Washington, "I really believe we are already great and destined to leave some kind of mark in this world. I also believe we're meant to walk a certain path at a certain time and meet up with certain people who help shape our lives. From time to time we hit bumps in the road, miss the marks along the way and need a push to get us back on track." Happy New Year MEME 2020 Getting back on track requires rest and reflection though so we can process where we've been, how much we've grown and how much stronger we are as a result of our successes and failures. With that knowledge, we then can gratefully and gracefully release the past and renew ourselves by creating a new course of action which opens doors to our future. So as you start fresh this New Year, I invite you to first reflect on all you've accomplished this past year. This is a great exercise to write down on paper because we don't always realize how much we've achieved and grown until we do so. You'll be amazed how much more you will remember and be proud of, which will only fuel you with more HOPE for an even better New Year! Let It Begin With YOU! Tips for creating successful resolutions Try Again. We've all broken past resolutions but that doesn't mean you can't be successful. Think positive and about what obstacles got in your way last time. How will this goal end differently this year? Or, do you need to let it go? Don't make too many resolutions. Deciding to lose weight, exercise more, get a new job and quit smoking is too much to tackle at once. Choose the most pressing issue and stick to it. Trying to do everything at once practically guarantees failure. Choose your own goal. Before you decide what to commit to make sure you are the primary reason for setting this goal vs. friends, family or society. Do I feel energized by this goal? Does this goal fit into my life purpose? Devise a plan and write it down. Plan what you'd like to accomplish in small increments. Small goals give you a sense of accomplishment and keep you motivated. Write them down. It's a fact: writing down your goals gives you higher chance of success. Believe and visualize. There are hundreds of stories about the power of visualization in helping people achieve their goals. Hence the saying, if you can see it, you can believe it... so visualize once a day. What would it look like? How would it feel? Tell People. Let your biggest fans in on your new goals for the new year. Get Accountability. Better than telling others about your goals is getting accountability. Meet with a group or friends who will ask you, "how's your goal going." Hire a coach. Talk with your partner and ask for support! Focus with helpful reminders. Once you've got your goals in place, figure out ways to remind yourself. Put post it notes on your bathroom mirror, in your car, on your calendar. Find ways that work for you. Forgive yourself. If you get off track, don't give up.. No one is perfect and persistence is the key. Review your plan, make necessary adjustments and get back on track. Celebrate. Reward yourself when you reach your goals! Amy Coughlin is a Certified Wellness Coach whose practice is designed to educate and empower individuals to take significant and preventative steps in their long-term health and wellness. Ultimately, her education, coupled with her expertise in corporate training and recruitment, has inspired her to coach individuals and corporate groups in wellness education programs. If you want to improve your food, mood, and life, call me to experience a complimentary health history. You will be glad you did!

Image
One of the most memorable New Year's Eve celebrations I have ever attended was in Pietralunga, Italy. My husband, Bert, and I had left the States the day after Christmas and arrived at our house, Caifiordi, on Dec. 27th. Our initial plan had been to spend a quiet New Year's Eve with a home cooked Italian meal by the fireplace at Caifiordi. Nothing wrong with that plan; it would have been delightful. Our sense of adventure took over, however, when we heard that one of the hotels in Pietralunga had a huge New Year's Eve celebration including dinner and dance. At this point in time, our Italian was deplorable so we were very uncertain as to the details of this celebration. The only thing we knew for certain was the location. So we dressed in our finery and made our way to the Candeletto, the Swiss looking hotel in the tourist zone outside Pietralunga. We arrived a little after 8, which we thought would be in keeping with the normal Italian custom of eating dinner late. W...
Read more

Happy New Year! Why I Prefer to Not Make Resolutions

Image
First of all I just wanted to say a big Happy New Years for 2011 brides and grooms to be. Have you made any resolutions? I do... sort of I just don't call them resolutions because I know that it's just setting myself up for failure. So I do things a little differently to ensure that I set a few things to work on to improve myself and my life. Here are the steps I take and if you'd like to use them or a variation on them, by all means:). Step 1. I think of what I wish my life would look like right now. Step 2. I think of a few goals to achieve the things I want out of life. Step 3. I pick a few goals (no more than 3 right now) that I want to concentrate on. Step 4. Then I say that within a year "I will have achieved going on a trip with my family" or "I will have achieved running a 5 km race". I want something that isn't too easy for me, that I really see myself achieving, and that it's not too far fetched either. Something ...
Read more