Bring the bags: origin and meaning of New Year's rituals
We are very close to welcoming 2022. Are you ready to eat grapes and run out with your bags, wearing yellow underwear? What are your New Years rituals?
It has become a custom to perform some rituals to attract good luck during New Year's Eve, which range from wearing a specific garment to walking with suitcases. But have you ever wondered where they came from or what their meaning is? Here goes the answer.
Origin and meaning of the most common New Year rituals
eat 12 grapes
Tradition dictates that for each chime we must eat a grape, either making a wish or thinking of something we would like to achieve during the year that is beginning. In the book "Spain" by Jeff Koehler, quoted by the BBC, it is explained that there are two possible origins of this New Year's ritual.
The first details that in 1880 the Spanish bourgeoisie began to imitate the French regarding the New Year celebrations. So they began to drink wine and eat grapes to celebrate the beginning of a year.
Later, some people from Madrid adopted this custom and ate grapes while listening to the chimes of midnight, probably as an irony or mockery of the bourgeoisie.
Another theory details that in 1909 Spanish producers had a surplus in the grape harvest. To sell them, a campaign was started in which it was claimed that they were good luck grapes.
run with a suitcase
If one of your purposes is to travel during 2022, be careful with this ritual. Right at midnight you should go for a run with a suitcase, so that the coming year is full of travel. They say that the further you run, the better the ride. The suitcase you carry must be full. There is no precise origin of this tradition, but it is believed that it was born in Latin America, where it is widely popular.
Wear red or yellow underwear
In Mexico we use red underwear to attract love and yellow to bring prosperity. Animal MX details that this tradition comes from the Middle Ages. This color was exclusive to royalty.
However, other people decided to use details of this color under their clothes to call for prosperity, especially in winter, a season that was very hard.
Sweep the house
One of the New Year's rituals has to do with cleanliness. It is believed that by sweeping the house on the last day of December we get rid of the negative things that happened in the year, as well as the bad vibes. In this way we will be ready for everything that will come in the new year.
seeds for abundance
Come on, mijito, take a spoonful of lentils. In addition to grapes, it is also a tradition to eat a spoonful of this food at New Year, because it attracts prosperity.
According to El País, in Italy lentils symbolize wealth and money. This tradition comes from the Roman Empire. It is believed that the more lentils eaten, the more riches will come.
There are also those who give lentils so that those who receive them do not lack prosperity or put them on a plate in the center of the table.
Crawl under the table at New Years
In recent years this ritual has become very popular. It consists of getting under the table right at midnight. It is said that this attracts luck in love and will get a partner in the coming year.
What do you think? What New Year 2022 rituals will you do?
