The holidays aren’t over yet. So, as a sequel to last week’s blog about Posadas in Mexico – how about we talk about New Year’s this time? This will help us familiarize ourselves with Mexican culture in preparation for The Mexico Trip on February 2023.
One thing we’ve observed about Mexican culture – apart from being family-centric – is how holiday traditions dabble with superstition. New Year’s celebrations are one of those gatherings that have the most superstitious practices.
Here are some of the fun and mystical elements of Nochevieja or New Year’s Eve celebrations in Mexico:
– Grapes are a staple on the dinner table on New Year’s Eve. And eating 12 grapes as they count down to 12 am is a Hispanic tradition. The 12 grapes represent 12 wishes for the 12 months of the year. Many believe that your 12 wishes will come true if you manage to eat all 12 grapes before the clock strikes 12.
– Lentils are also believed to bring good fortune. Some leave a bag of lentils by the front door on New Year’s Eve – while some serve lentil soup for dinner.
– Bright colors are worn in Mexican New Year’s Eve celebrations – but not in the most obvious and visible ways. Wearing colorful underwear is another tradition unique to Nochevieja celebrations – with specific colors each having a specific meaning. Red underwear attracts love, yellow attracts money, and white attracts peace. If you don’t have colorful underwear, lighting brightly-colored candles have the same intention.
– Spring cleaning or sweeping your house drives away the negative vibes from the previous year. Just make sure you sweep the dirt out through a door or gate. Then some drop coins on the floor and sweep them into the house to encourage financial good fortune.
– Buñuelos are fried dough balls drizzled with honey and served on a ceramic plate on New Year’s Eve. Another unique practice during Nochevieja is eating Buñuelos, then smashing the plates to represent breaking past bad habits.
As with Posadas celebrations – there are so many practices at Nochevieja celebrations that are unique to Mexican culture. Embracing new relationships with suppliers in Mexico will involve embracing their culture – even possibly celebrating holidays with them in the future. Remember – to grow at a global scale we must practice goodwill with partners of various cultures and nationalities. Best time to initiate this growth is at Monterrey, Mexico on February 2023.
Have you signed up for The Mexico Trip yet? Do it now while we still have tickets!
Feliz Año Nuevo! We can’t wait to welcome 2023 with you in Mexico! ¡Salud!
You must log in to post a comment.