Around the world, different cultures hold beliefs about how to be lucky in New Year, superstitions about breaking dishes, opening windows, and buying charms. While New Year good luck traditions might not really affect the outcome of the coming year, they’re a positive way to set intentions for the new year and celebrate the anticipation of what’s to come. These Latin American New Year’s traditions are fun ways to celebrate and look forward to the hope of the new year.
Mexico New Year’s Traditions
When it comes to how to be lucky in New Year, Mexico has a few different traditions to follow.

- First, make sure you’re wearing new underwear, and if you’re looking for love, make sure it’s red. Yellow underwear will attract wealth, and white underwear is said to bring peace.
- One of the other Mexico New Year’s traditions is to sweep out your house, sweeping the dirt and dust out the door for a fresh start.
- In Mexico, the New Year’s good luck food is lentils, and while many families eat them for dinner on December 31, others leave them outside the house to welcome in good luck.
- In some parts of Mexico, people also burn small dummies that look like old men to signify the end of the old year. However, this is one of the Mexico New Year’s traditions that might be questioned in other places.
Good Luck for New Year in Brazil
On New Year’s Eve in Brazil, you’ll see everyone wearing white for a fresh and peaceful start to the year, and along the coast, everyone will edge towards the sea at midnight. Here, one of the most important New Year good luck traditions is to jump over seven waves, making a wish with each one. While you might not have waves to jump over in other parts of the world, some countries also celebrate with a jump into the new year. There are a few different New Year’s good luck food options in Brazil, like champagne, grapes, and pomegranate seeds, but don’t eat turkey or crab if you’re hoping for a good year.
Good Luck for New Year in Columbia
Midnight is a busy time in Colombia with different superstitions for how to be lucky in New Year. In the last minute of the old year, grapes are the New Year’s good luck food, and you better eat 12 of them before the clock strikes 12. At midnight, it’s time to run around the neighborhood with an empty suitcase. This tradition signifies a year filled with travel and adventures. With these two New Year good luck traditions, you’ll be ready for a year full of exploration and discoveries.
These traditions for good luck for New Year may or may not affect what’s to come, but they do add hope and festiveness to your celebrations. These traditions can help you set goals and start the year off with good intentions. While running around the neighborhood with a suitcase or burning a statue of an old man might get you some funny looks, these are fun ways to experience another culture and look forward to the coming year.