Expat Community > Ecuador

OceanHideaway
Joined 2010
Posts: 6876

Ecuador New Years Customs: Ano Viejo

11 years ago

In Ecuador, Año Viejo is a fiery tradition that symbolically burns up the failures, regrets and anger of the old year in order to usher in the hopes and resolutions of the new one. On the last day of the year, people construct effigies that might represent an irritating person, a disliked political figure, or even disappointment about past mistakes or unachieved goals. A handwritten note is pinned to the dummy explaining why it must be burned and what changes and improvements are desired for the coming year. Then, to a chorus of cheers and clapping, the effigy is thrown into the street and burned to ashes. Although the origins of this custom are murky, many believe it dates back to a particularly virulent yellow fever epidemic that required the mass burning of corpses

Other customs:

wearing yellow under pants -- yellow is for prosperity!

dancing from midnight til dawn --- for health and happiness!

Happy New Year!

Susan
TheOceanHideaway.net

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