11 Fun Colombian New Year Traditions

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Are you considering spending New Years in Colombia?

Or do you have some Colombian friends you’ll be celebrating with and want to show you know a few of their Colombian traditions?

Then, you might be asking yourself how does Colombia celebrate New Years?

While Colombian New Years celebrations have a lot in common with the rest of the world, there are also some really interesting Colombian New Year Traditions!

After over a decade living in Colombia, I can say without a doubt that New Years traditions in Colombia are some of the most interesting. I particularly found it interesting how Colombian New Year’s traditions were so different from my own, growing up in South Carolina (no collard greens and black eyed peas in Colombia!).

Not only are Colombia’s New Years traditions fascinating, but some are downright quirky!

Read on to learn about 11 fun Colombian New Years traditions to see which ones you find most interesting and quirky!

How Does Colombia Celebrate New Years?

Colombian celebrate New Years much like the rest of the world. They spend time with friends and family, perhaps do some imbibing, definitely do some dancing, and a good many of them participate in international hangover day on January 1st.

One thing I did always notice that I feel like is a bit different than in the US is that New Years Eve in Colombia tends to be a bit more low key and family oriented compared to Christmas Eve. I feel like it’s the opposite in the US, with New Years being a bigger night to go out with friends and Christmas Eve usually the more low key family celebration.

By the way, if you’ll be in Colombia around the holiday season, you might want to check out my post on interesting Colombian Christmas traditions too!

Of course, every family is different and have their own ways of celebrating and New Years traditions, in Colombia and elsewhere.

However, there are some really neat Colombian New Year traditions, including a few unique ones! Some are a bit more common than others, and some are more popular in certain areas or parts of the country, but many Colombians bring in the New Year practicing at least a few of these traditions.

Traveling to Spend New Years in Colombia?

Before we get into the most fascinating Colombian New Year’s traditions, a few quick notes if you’ll be traveling for New Years in Colombia.

This is one of the busiest travel seasons of the year, and Colombia is no exception. Locals and foreigners alike flock to Colombia’s biggest destinations take advantage of time off school and work and to celebrate.

Cartagena is especially popular, as Colombians and foreigners escape the chillier weather in the interior for the lovely beaches and picturesque Rosario Islands nearby.

You should also expect large crowds in popular destinations like San Andres Island, Medellín, the lovely colonial towns of Villa de Leyva or Barichara, and Tayrona National Park.

So, you’ll want to make sure you make hotel reservations early!

If you are going to be in Cartagena around New Years, be sure to check out my guide to the best areas to stay, my picks for the best boutique hotels, the best luxury hotels, the best beach hotels, and the best hostels.

That also goes for tours, excursions, and other activities. Things like day trips to the Rosario Islands fill up in advance around the holidays. See my picks for the best tours in Cartagena for other things you might want to get a head start booking.

Finally, there are many restaurants, bars, and clubs that hold special events for New Years. Many of them include a dinner known as the Cena San Silvestre. While you can find restaurants and clubs to eat and party at as a walk up, if you want to make sure you get into a special dinner or popular club, it’s best to buy tickets and make reservations early for them too.

11 Most Interesting Colombian New Year Traditions

Ok, so let’s get to this list of the most interesting Colombian New Years traditions.

Not all of these traditions are practiced by all Colombians.

In fact, I’d say in my experience during my decade plus living in Cartagena, they aren’t strictly observed by most. However, many people do maintain one or several of these traditions for New Years in Colombia.

Especially in more traditional families or in the barrios, Colombia’s New Year traditions are more commonly observed.

Several of them are pretty fascinating and interesting, such as eating grapes under the table, while others may not be as surprising. Most of them have to do with bringing good luck or financial success to the New Year.

1. Ringing in the New Year by Eating 12 Grapes

This is probably the most famous Colombian New Year tradition.

In fact, you may have heard of the 12 grapes at midnight or the New Years Eve grapes as a tradition in Colombia and other countries too.

That’s because the tradition to eat 12 green grapes for New Years Eve actually comes from Spain, and the tradition may date to as early as the 1880s. It eventually spread to much of Latin America, so the 12 grapes at midnight Colombian tradition is practiced in a number of other nearby countries too.

If you’re wondering if it should be red grapes or green grapes, my understanding is that traditionally in Spain they are meant to be green grapes. I’ve seen both in Colombia, but green does seem to be more common.

Why do people eat 12 grapes on New Years in Colombia?

It’s important to remember that the New Years Colombian grape tradition calls for you to eat the 12 grapes right after the stroke of midnight, downing one with each stroke of the clock.

People in Colombia eat 12 grapes on New Years because they believe they will bring them good luck in the New Year. Each grape is good luck for each month of the year, for 12 in total.

Yes, that means 12 grapes in 12 seconds!

Honestly, I’m not sure how many people actually successfully scarf down all 12 grapes in 12 seconds, because I know I’ve never managed to do it that quick when I’ve tried to participate in the Colombian grape tradition on New Years Eve.

If you are celebrating New Years in Colombia or with Colombians, there is a good chance there will be some grapes around though, so you can try your hand at it. Let me know in the comments if you ate all 12 in 12 seconds!

For bars and restaurants offering New Year’s Eve parties and dinners, they almost always serve grapes, making it easy to participate (they should have champagne for a more traditional toast as well!).

Some say eating grapes under the table is necessary to get the full benefit, but I’m not sure I’d do that at a restaurant.

2. Wearing Yellow Underwear

Another funny and pretty commonly celebrated tradition for New Years in Colombia is wearing yellow underwear on New Year’s Eve.

Unlike the eating 12 grapes tradition in Colombia, this Colombian New Year tradition actually differs a bit from the original Spanish tradition, which calls for people to wear red underwear.

It’s unclear (and depends on who you ask) exactly what the purpose of the yellow underwear on New Years in Colombia is. Whenever I asked people, some said good luck, some said love, and some said both.

However, most people do agree, it should definitely be new yellow underwear!

Some people put a spin on the yellow underwear Colombia New Years tradition and wear their yellow underwear inside out to start New Year’s Eve and then flip them once the clock strikes midnight.

Whether you believe it or not, or wear your underwear inside out or right side up, it’s a pretty easy and funny New Years in Colombia tradition to participate in!

3. Carry Some Lentils in Your Pocket

Here’s another quirky Colombian New Years tradition that involves what you put in your pants.

Some people fill their pockets with raw lentils for New Years Eve in Colombia. The lentils, which look almost like tiny coins, supposedly bring prosperity for the new year.

There are some alternate versions of this Colombian New Years tradition that use beans or chickpeas in place of the lentils.

Also, some people claim you should put them in your wallet or pocketbook, not just in your pocket. Some people even say you should keep them in there all year!

Honestly, neither Susana nor I every followed this tradition, but I’ve definitely seen people with lentils on New Years in Colombia. Maybe we should start!

4. Or Get Literal About it and Carry Money

Rather than lentils or beans, some argue you should just be direct about it and literally fill your pockets or wallet with cash to bring you even more money in the New Year.

A variation of this tradition is to have the money in hand at midnight on New Year’s Eve in Colombia.

Maybe the best thing to do is to make sure you’ve got both a fat pocket of lentils and a fat wad of cash in your hand just to make sure you cover all your bases!

Oh, and don’t forget a fat mouthful of grapes!

By the way, if you are going to practice this Colombian New Year’s Tradition, do be sensible about flashing your money around as it may make you a target for robbers. You can see some more tips on staying safe in my post on safety in Cartagena, by the way.

5. Walk Around the Block with Your Luggage

If the main reason you want money is to travel more in the New Year, then you’ll want to make sure you follow this next Colombian New Years tradition!

In my opinion, this is both one of the quirkiest and most fun New Years traditions in Colombia, and it’s one of my personal favorites.

According to this tradition, if you want to bring yourself more opportunities to travel in the new year, you should go outside and walk around the block with your suitcase in tow.

Many Colombians say you should do this just after midnight on New Year’s Eve, but there are others who say you should do it in the morning on New Year’s Day.

Some people say it needs to be new luggage. Some also say you should pack your bag like you are in fact traveling (check out my packing list for Cartagena by the way!).

Meanwhile, some people say neither of those things matter.

To be honest, I didn’t see this a whole lot in Cartagena. However, I do know some Colombians from other parts of the country, especially the interior, who swear by it.

And of course, if you are planning some travels of your own in the New Year, be sure to check out all the content on this site, like this guide to getting started planning a trip to Cartagena, and all the other great places to see in Colombia in the Other Destinations section!

6. Starting the New Year in Colombia on the Right Foot

For a simple and easy way to have good luck in the New Year, just make sure get it started on the right foot!

That means literally taking your first step of the New Year with your right foot.

Pretty easy right!

Plus, you don’t have to worry about what’s in your pants, scarfing down fruit, or packing a bag to participate in this Colombian New Year tradition. Although, it does easily combine with any and all of these other traditions!

7. Burn Away the Bad from Last Year

Sometimes you don’t only want to have good fortune in the new year, but you also want to move on from what didn’t go so well in the previous one.

Colombians have a fun, and maybe a bit extreme, tradition for renewal in the new year.

You might see in the days leading up to the New Years in Colombia life size, homemade dolls or straw men sitting out in front of people’s homes.

These figures, literally called the “año viejo,” are meant to represent the past year, especially the misfortune or bad vibes of the year.

Sometimes, they are even made to represent specific people, such as an ex-lover or a disliked politician. Usually, they are just meant to generally represent the año viejo though.

After midnight, this representation of the old year is set on fire, becoming a literal effigy to burning away the bad of the last year and starting the new one with a clean slate.

This tradition is a bit less common in the cities nowadays, especially in tourist areas, but you may see it in the barrios, in small towns, and rural areas. I’ve definitely seen “año viejos” in the barrios of Cartagena.

This tradition is also very common in Ecuador and a few other countries in Latin America.

8. Start the New Year with a Clean House

Perhaps a safer way to get rid of the stains from last year’s misfortune and usher in renewal in the new one is this next Colombian New Year’s tradition.

Many Colombians give the house a deep cleaning on New Year’s Day.

Not only does this quite literally clean away the dirt and grime from the previous year, but it starts the new one off with a clean house, ready to receive good luck and prosperity.

Susana’s mom always follows this Colombian New Year’s Day tradition, although I can’t say we are great about it ourselves.

I don’t know, I can’t say I ever particularly want to clean the house on international hangover day, but honestly, it’s probably not a bad life tip, and just may bring you good luck in the new year.

9. Predict the New Year with 3 Potatoes

This is another New Years tradition in Colombia that isn’t all that common in Cartagena.

In fact, I don’t know anyone personally who actually does this, and I expect it’s most common in rural areas, especially those with lots of potato cultivation.

Or maybe it’s just not a Cartagena thing and more common in the interior.

Those that practice this Colombian New Years Eve tradition take three potatoes on December 31. They peel one entirely, peel one only halfway, and leave one unpeeled.

The potatoes are meant to represent different levels of financial success in the coming year in the following way:

• The fully peeled potato represents a a bad year where you may go broke.
• The half peeled potato indicates a so-so year with maybe some financial stress but nothing you can’t manage.
• Finally, the unpeeled potato signals a year of prosperity and good fortune.

After preparing them, the practitioners of this Colombian New Years tradition place all three potatoes under the bed during the evening of New Year’s Eve.

After the New Year, they reach under the bed and pick one potato without looking.

10. Decorating the Table with Wheat

This is another of the Colombia New Years traditions that is more common in rural areas and small towns, and I’ve never actually seen in Cartagena.

Some Colombians decorate their tables with stalks of wheat to usher in the New Year.

According to this Colombian New Years superstition, you should use 12 stalks of wheat, one for each month of the year.

Some say this tradition is meant to ensure full cupboards and plenty to eat in the new year, while others say it has to do with the stalks of wheat representing change, transformation, and renewal in the new year.

11. Party in the New Year in Colombia

Finally, well, of course, Colombians love to party, and like just about everywhere else in the world, there will be plenty of fun to have on New Year’s Eve in Colombia.

As I mentioned at the start of this post, New Years in Colombia tends to be a bit more family oriented than in the US in my experience.

However, many Colombians, especially young people, still go out and party with friends. It’s also a popular travel season, so lots of people are out checking out the nightlife on vacation too.

And, well, many Colombian families know how to party too!

Whether out on the town or gathered at home with family, there’s likely to be plenty of aguardiente and cervezas involved in celebrating the New Year in Colombia.

Many restaurants and bars also have special dinners and parties known as the Cena San Silvestre. These usually include not only dinner but the 12 grapes and a champagne toast at midnight. Most of the time you’ll also get some buñuelos and natilla, favorite traditional foods around the holidays.

Some include open bars, and some may even include a sancocho stew or soup late night when leaving, which makes a great preemptive hangover remedy.

If you do want to go to a Cena San Silvestre, you will most likely need reservations as the most popular places sell out.

And if you don’t make a reservation, don’t worry, there will be plenty of places you can go out dancing that won’t fill up, you just might not get your first choice place.

Also, there will be plenty of people out on the streets having fun too!

In fact, if you are in Cartagena, you can catch the awesome fireworks for free from atop the wall or from much of Centro and Getsemaní, which is a lot of fun if you prefer to skip the pricey dinners and reservation only parties.

If you do go to the wall, there will be lots of people who set up chairs, so you may want to come a little early to get a good spot.

From there, you can just head to whatever place looks fun that has space. This tended to be what we did when we were in Cartagena for New Years and not traveling somewhere else. You may want to check out my guide to the Cartagena nightlife for some ideas.

Other major cities and many small towns may also have fireworks displays, not to mention plenty of people shooting of their own, for New Year’s Eve in Colombia.

Ready to Usher in the New Year?

Now you know 11 fun Colombian New Year Traditions to user in the new year yourself, whether you’ll be in Colombia for New Years or not.

Whether you happen to be traveling Colombia during New Years, live in Colombia, or just have a Colombian friend you want to impress, you now know about some of the traditions they might celebrate for New Years.

So pack your bags with some yellow underwear, buy yourself a bag of lentils, some potatoes, and or a bushel of wheat, and don’t forget your grapes and dancing shoes!

Just don’t party too hard, so you can clean the house tomorrow!

If you actually did any of these New Years traditions in Colombia yourself, if you have a favorite, or if you know any others you or your Colombian friends practice, let me know in the comments.

Cheers and Happy New Year!

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If you’re looking to celebrate New Years in Colombia in a small town without quite so many crowds as in the major cities, you could consider a place like Barichara, Villa de Leyva, Minca, or Palomino. Of if you want to enjoy the glitz of the nightlife in country’s capital, check out my post on the best areas to stay in Bogotá.