Grapes, underwear, burning dolls. If it’s time for strange traditions, it must be New Year’s Eve in Mexico.
Be aware that New Year’s Eve is a time that Mexican families like to spend with each other. You’ll surely be able to find some fun activities and parties, but don’t be put off if your Mexican besties have plans already, probably with their families.
For Mexicans, the stroke of midnight is a time to hug and kiss your loved ones. If you’ve got any down here with you, get ready for some squeezes! If you don’t, that’s okay. There’s still plenty of fun to be had!
So without further ado, let’s take a look at some of Mexico’s favorite New Year traditions.
Colored underwear
This is something that took me a while to figure out. Why on Earth was I always seeing so much red and yellow underwear on sale at this time of year? Do people really like McDonald’s colors?
Actually, the colors are for luck. While there are more — green is for health, for example — red and yellow are the main ones. Wearing red underwear means you’ll attract love in the coming year, and yellow means that you’ll attract money. Unfortunately, my 2024 yellow underwear seems to have been defective. Well, we’ll try again, I guess!
Eating 12 grapes at midnight
There are some people who feel they have to eat all 12 grapes right away, at the same time. I’d advise against this, since, you know, choking hazard.
But if you go nice and slow, or someone in your party knows the Heimlich maneuver, go for it! Each of the 12 grapes represents a wish for the coming year. That’s quite a few wishes, so don’t be afraid to jot them down in advance!
Fireworks and other things to send you to the hospital
Mexico is a country that loves, loves, loves its fireworks, and New Year celebrations are no exception! While there’s not comprehensive data on how many people are injured by rockets every Dec. 31, my guess is a lot. Be careful out there!
Representing the old and new year
More fire! In Mexico, many people have the tradition of creating a kind of life-size scarecrow to represent the old year. And most actually burn it! If you’re going this route, I’d recommend doing it with someone with experience.
And here’s something you might see during the day on New Year’s Eve: bands of merry revelers dancing and clanging their ways up and down the streets. In this party, there will inevitably be a grown man hilariously dressed as a baby — the new year. They might be chasing or otherwise terrorizing the older-looking old year!
Cleaning for the new year
While we often talk about spring cleaning, in Mexico the new year is a great time for it. Why? Symbolism, baby, symbolism. It’s a literal “out with the old and in with the new” activity meant to purify and refresh your life. I’m 100 percent on board with this one, as cleaning and organizing is basically witchcraft as far as I’m concerned. Time to get rid of those things that are just taking up space!
Eating at midnight
This tradition, I’ll admit, is not my favorite. Plus, didn’t we just have to wait until midnight to eat on Christmas? What’s a gal supposed to do until then?
The answer, I guess, is a sandwich or something to hold you over, and in my case, a nap.
If this is your first New Year celebration spent in Mexico, then enjoy yourself! Get your underwear ready and your grapes prepared. Take a good nap, and try not to wind up in the hospital with sparkler burns.
Sarah DeVries is a writer and translator based in Xalapa, Veracruz. She can be reached through her website, sarahedevries.substack.com.
