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Cuban New Year’s Eve Traditions

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I'm sooo ready.

New year's eve

On New Year's Eve, at the stroke of midnight, we Cubans are BUSY.

When the clock strikes 12 we:

  1. quickly eat 12 grapes – one for each month of the past year.
  2. wash these down with sparkling cider to celebrate the end of the old year.
  3. throw a bucket of water out the front door to symbolize getting rid of all the bad juju from the past year.
  4. put a suitcase outside if we are hoping to travel in the new year.
  5. put some money in the mailbox for prosperity. =D

We did all of this one year ago today.

So I'd like to do a quick recap of this past year based on our Cuban New Year superstitions.

We traveled to all of these places:

  • Hawaii
  • Mexico
  • Las Vegas (twice)
  • Yosemite
  • Miami (twice)
  • Sacramento

It's been a wonderful year for us in so many ways. 

My husband was able to quit his day job and come home and he doubled (yes, you read that right. =D) his income.
I published My Big, Fat, Cuban Family Cookbook.  =D
I got to meet so many of you at Cuba Nostalgia – what a treat that was!
I celebrated my 2 year Blogiversary with lots of give-aways.
Not to mention getting to spend time with three of my favorite Cuban blog-friends, Amanda, Chantel, and Carrie.
I get to be a part of Babalú blog – always an honor.
Of course, we spent lots of time at The Park this year.
I finally got my white picket fence.
I got to cook (and cook, and cook some more) for you.
I had my magical moment with my new friend, Desi.  😉
My kids, well… you can read all about their wonderful exploits here.

So, this year, I'm ready with all my Cuban superstitions traditions for the New Year.

And yes, I'll be wearing my red underwear for luck because I'm not taking any chances.

I know. Total over-share, but that's not important right now. 😉

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Comments

  3. Ody from Miami Lakes says

    I just found out that I have to walk around the block with my suitcase!!! Are they kidding?!!!Wishing you all a wonderful New Year!!!!

  5. class factotum says

    Felicidades, Marta! Un aviso — with the journalspace crash, I lost two years of blogging. yes, the last time I backed up my blog was August 2006. How dumb was that? Don’t let this happen to you!

  8. Christy Rodriguez says

    I can’t wait! OMG.. Carrie.. the infamous “Cuban Mop”! LOVE IT! My husband calls it my polo stick..he asks where’s my horse to go with it! LOL He just doesn’t understand us Cubans! Marta: so red undies huh? I’m adding that and the suit case! Its going to be a great New Years Eve! I just read about doing ‘un bano’ with boiled ruda, cinnamon sicks, honey & savila. Boil them together, then turn off when fragrant, once cooled, pour it over yourself and santiguate with the ruda. Adding this too to my ritual.

  10. Maria says

    Felicidades Marta! Deseandote a ti y tu bella familia un Japi Nujiar! I just finished running all over Northen New Jersey because Shop Rite was out of uvas!!! What’s a Cuban to do!?!?!? ::::GASP::::

  12. Tania says

    I have always done the twelve grapes but we do it with a time limit of one minute. Each grape not eaten within the minute represents one month of bad luck. Is there a time limit to get all the things done? How long do you leave he suitcase and money out? How much money do you put out and is there an assumed correlation between the amount you put out and the prosperity ?? Inquiring minds want to know 🙂