New Year's Traditions and Superstitions in Ecuador (Kent and Teresa)

As the new year approaches, I've been hearing Pablo (from our host family) talk a lot about what colors to wear and what colors not to wear, especially when the midnight clock strikes twelve on New Year's Day.

Yellow--if you want financial prosperity in the new year, you should wear a yellow shirt.  Many women, I am told but have no way of confirming this, also wear yellow underwear.

Red--to have lots of love in the new year, you should wear a red shirt and/or wear red underwear.

Blue and White--if you want peace and harmony in the new year, you should wear a blue shirt.

Black and Dark Purple--These are the two colors to be avoided because that's what you wear when family dies.  If you wear one of these colors, someone in your family will die in the new year.

Other New Year's traditions/superstitions:

If you want to travel a lot in the new year, at midnight you should run around the block with a suitcase.

To fulfill all of your dreams in the new year you should eat twelve grapes (one for each month).

If you put a dollar bill (or any other denomination of paper money) in your shoe, you will have financial prosperity in the new year.

Probably the most celebrated New Year's tradition is that of the Año Viejo muñeco (doll/effigy of the old year).  Pablo has been busily constructing two huge figures out of bamboo, wood scraps, plastic scraps, cardboard, tape and paper mâché.  His effigies this year will represent the rival soccer teams Barcelona and (his team) EMELEC.  The idea of the Año Viejo tradition is that you make an effigy representing someone that you love or that you hate, and then you burn the effigy to welcome the New Year.  The idea is that you burn the bad of the old year and start the new with a blank slate.  If you create an effigy of someone you love, it is an honor for them to be burned and it's supposed to bring that person good luck in the next year.  Many in this town will line one of the main streets with their creations, and before burning them they will "beat all of the bad" out of them.  Then everyone burns their effigies together, followed by a big party in a downtown park.  Happy New Year!