New Year in Mexico - Traditions and Customs

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Mexico is a culturally rich country. Mexican New Year is celebrated with a number of traditions. A number of colors are associated with the Mexican New Year traditions and each of the color refers to some significant thoughts. For example, red New Year decoration signifies courage, love, and a better lifestyle. Yellow signifies enjoyment and blessings. Green refers to financial upliftment and white portrays good health. Mexican families decorate their houses with these four colors.

The native families arrange for Mexican New Year Parties on the New Year eve and decoration plays a vital part of the preparation. Apart from lots of colors, Mexican pan dulce is a crucial part of the party decoration. Mexican pan dulce is served at the midnight, just at the juncture of the New Year. The baker puts a lucky coin or pendant on the sweet bread or Mexican pan dulce. The person, who gets the lucky pendent or coin during the Mexican pan dulce cutting ceremony, is considered the luckiest person in the next one year.

Traditional Mexican New Year games play a key role in the New Year celebrations. These games are played only to entertain the guests. These games are also fun to play. These games are deeply associated with Mexican traditions. For example, in a game, the Mexican people are asked to write the good and bad events of the current year. These lists have to be made before midnight. At 12 o clock, they are asked to throw the lists in the fire and turn to ashes. This tradition symbolizes the removal of all negative vibes and energy and at the same time, it refers to a new beginning.




Before the New Year eve, the Mexican people have to clean and wash their body, houses, and other possessions. According to Mexican New Year traditions, the Mexican people have the later night dinner on the New Year eve. There is a popular Mexican New Year custom that the Mexicans have to eat one grape in each click of the clock before twelve seconds of 12 o'clock.

Each grape signifies good luck of one month of the New Year. In the Mexico City, a large street festival is arranged on the New Year eve while in other parts of the country, small bonfires, food, and dancing festivals take place. Fireworks and bells are the companions of New Year morning. You can see fireworks and hear ringing bells until the daybreak of the New Year.

There is also an underwear Mexican New Year tradition. It is said that the color of a woman's undergarment decides the destiny of the woman for the next year. According to the tradition, Mexican women choose the color of their inner. For example, if a girl wants love, she will wear red underwear, for financial growth, she will wear green, and for good health, she will wear white. The floral decoration also plays a vital role in deciding the fate of a man, according to Mexican New Year traditions.

There are numerous New Year traditions in Mexico being followed during the festive time. Most Mexicans have a late night dinner along with their families on New Year's Eve. People attend parties later on at squares, homes, and on the streets. Most major cities, towns and villages in Mexico host New Year parties and celebrations.

If you visit Mexico City, you can attend the New Year celebrations around the Zocalo. At midnight fireworks, firecrackers, and sparklers welcome in the New Year. Mexicans embrace and greet each other "Feliz año nuevo!"

Popular New Year traditions in Mexico

One tradition is to eat twelve grapes at midnight on 31st December. While eating, people make a wish for the coming New Year.

Mexicans search for luck in various innovative ways. If you want to have good luck in love in the New Year, wear red underwear. If you are searching for good luck with money, wear yellow underwear.

If you think of traveling in the New Year, Mexicans normally take their luggage outside of their house and go for a walk at midnight.

Another New Year Mexican tradition is about cleanliness in the New Year. People take a bath on New Year's Eve and some even wash their pets and cars.

Apart from these traditions, people eat various traditional foods on New Year's Eve. A staple food is dried and salted codfish called Bacalao. Toasts are prepared with sparkling cider and ponche which is a hot fruit punch is also prepared.