10 Latino New Year Traditions You’ll Love (and Laugh at!)

Get ready to ring in the New Year with a dash of fun, a sprinkle of tradition, and a whole bunch of grapes! At LatiNation’s Cultura Shock New Year’s Special, we’re diving into the unique ways Latinos celebrate New Year’s Eve. From eating 12 grapes in record time to running with suitcases, our episode features guests sharing their favorite traditions and a hilarious relay race between hosts AK and Mike. Let’s look at 10 of these fun New Year’s traditions:

1. 12 Grapes, 12 Wishes

Eating 12 grapes at midnight is a staple across Latin cultures. Each grape represents a month of the year and a wish for what’s to come. But it’s trickier than it sounds!

Maria from Barcelona shared: “We do the 12 grapes, but the trick is you cannot laugh. And it’s very hard when you’re pretty much choking on grapes and seeing other people’s mouths all full. You just have to do it with a straight face.”

Eliana from the Dominican Republic echoed the sentiment, saying: “It’s all about leaving the past behind and bringing what you want for the future.”

2. Lucky Underwear

Underwear color matters! Yellow brings wealth, red invites love, and green is for health. This playful tradition is popular in countries like Colombia, Venezuela, and Mexico.

Ana Saia, who’s Mexican American, explained: “You wear yellow, green, or red, depending on what you want to bring into the New Year.”

3. The Luggage Dash

Want to travel more in the coming year? Grab a suitcase and take it for a run. The tradition is huge in Venezuela, Colombia, and Mexico.

One guest from Venezuela described it perfectly: “We grab our luggage and run around the block, ‘le das una vuelta a toda la manzana,’ and then we party until six in the morning and go for breakfast!”

AK and Mike hilariously recreated this tradition in the video by running laps with suitcases in hand.

4. Burning “Año Viejo”

To leave behind bad memories, many families in Ecuador, Colombia, and other countries burn a life-sized dummy, called Año Viejo.

5. Lentils for Abundance

Colombian households often toss lentils or place them in pockets to symbolize abundance in the coming year.

“There’s always going to be an aunt or a mom running around with a handful of raw lentils. And she’s going to be handing them out for everyone to put in their pockets. This is supposed to symbolize abundance and bring you money in the coming year,” one guest chuckled.

6. The Last Shower

In the Dominican Republic, taking the final shower of the year is a ritual to wash away bad energy.

Eliana shared: “My aunts would always tell us ‘you have to take the last shower of the year,’ and put on fresh underwear. Like literally new and fresh, as if you were pampering your, especially a feminine area, you know, giving it some attention.”

7. Jumping Waves in Brazil

For those near the beach, hopping over seven waves while making wishes is a must. This tradition honors Yemayá, the goddess of the sea.

8. Throwing Water

Buckets of water get tossed out the window in Cuba, Puerto Rico, and parts of Latin America to wash away negativity.

Eliana mentioned a similar practice in the Dominican Republic: “We sage the house, cleanse the energy.”

9. Dancing until the sun comes up

New Year’s is about celebrating creativity and community.

Suhana shared her family tradition: “Growing up, we would have these huge parties and this is actually where I got my start in acting. We would have people rehearse for these parties, like we do singing, dancing, improvised skits, comedy impressions, roasts, and everyone would bring food and it was like a talent show.”

Dakyta shared: “New Year in Argentina is celebrated either at the beach or at home with friends or family, but always with a loud toast at midnight and dancing until dawn, just like it should be.”

10. Hugs and Kisses for Everyone

In Mexico and other Latin cultures, when the clock strikes midnight, it’s time for hugs and kisses.

María from Spain shared: “You have to kiss the person you love, if you have a loved one. If you don’t have a significant other, then you kiss anyone in the room on the cheek. The loved one is the only one you kiss on the mouth. But it’s a good way to show if you want love for the new year, the kiss. So you have to kiss right after midnight.”

Watch AK and Mike take on these traditions in their relay race—from eating grapes to flipping water bottles, nodding to Cuban traditions. See who comes out on top (and who has the funniest fails) in our Cultura Shock New Year’s Special.