Belize, Costa Rica, El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras, Nicaragua, Panama and the Dominican Republic celebrate the last night of the year with original traditions and ancestral customs, many still based on Christian roots and Mayan and Garifuna culture.
Hondurans have funny customs to celebrate New Year's Eve. One is that the night of December 31 is all about the burning of the old year:a life-size rag doll made of old clothes and newspaper is burned, a symbolic way of turning all the bad of the current year to ashes. Also, some people decorate their homes with colored candles with each color having a specific theme:blue to attract tranquility and professional success; yellow for abundance and the maintenance of relationships; red for passion and green for health and family integration.
In Costa Rica it is tradition to empty a pan of water over your shoulder, symbolizing that you leave the hardest moments of the previous year behind so that you can start the new year with a clean slate. The 'Fiesta Zapote' one of the most famous fiestas in the country, celebrated from Christmas afternoon to New Year's Eve with dancing, a horse with horses, bull 'fights' -the animal is not killed, music, drink, Costa Rican dishes such as turkey and tamales, games and much more.
Besides the traditional dinner of turkey and the 12 grapes, Guatemala has some unusual customs, such as suitcases stuffed with clothes are placed behind the front door, or sometimes they take a quick circle around the house with an empty suitcase so that the new year will be many trips. and good experiences for the family. Guatemalan children have to welcome the new year with something new on or they won't have any new clothes during the year. Also a funny custom to attract money and wealth:at noon on January 1, they go out to look up at the sky and pray to count the number of clouds they see as the sum of the sum of money they hold. will earn in the coming year.
A popular tradition is the burning of “El Viejo” or “La Vieja”, dolls made of wood and cotton, dressed in old clothes, which are usually depicted smoking or drinking liquor. The idea is to put the bad behind you and start the year on a positive note. There are also Nicaraguans – often superstitious – who fill their homes with cinnamon aromas, symbolizing tranquility in the home. Other New Year's Eve rituals include sweeping the whole house to banish the bad vibes and with the right hand, even left-handers do, to raise a glass and toast to the New Year with three jumps with the right foot - a happy year guaranteed.
Spending New Year's Eve on a beach, Belize is the place to be. For example, at a resort in Ambergis Caye – the largest island off the coast of Belize. In this idyllic place, immerse yourself in the spirit of the festivities, not only with the grapes and fireworks, but also with ancestral dances such as the Cha-Ri-Ka-Na-Ri, a typical Garifuna dance in which one wears a cow mask .
One of the traditions of Salvadorans for the last night of the year is to break an egg into a glass of water and put it in a window of a window outside all night. The next morning they take a quick look at the shape the egg has taken on whether the new year will bring good luck or not. Another ritual is that if you wear your underwear inside out during the last hours of the outgoing year and you wear them normally after 12 midnight, you will have wardrobes full of new clothes for the new year.
The queen of the party is the chicha de saril, a tropical plant from which a red drink is made, very popular at family dinners during New Year's Eve. from the Panamanian houses where it is very typical to go to them with new clothes in yellow and upside down. Houses are also given a good cleaning and incense sticks are placed to welcome the new year. Also, large rag dolls – stuffed man or muñecos – are stuffed with fireworks and set on fire, often depicting famous politicians or movie stars.
To attract luck in the New Year, Dominicans dress in certain colors for New Year's Eve, white for good health, green for money, and yellow for better career prospects. Another tradition is to throw away old unused items. In the Dominican Republic, they like to welcome the new year with a clean house. New Year's Eve is all about a huge dinner that includes roast pork, Russian salad, empanadas and lots of rum.
