In Mexico, people celebrate the New Year with many unique traditions that are both different from and similar to those in the United States. Let’s take a look at some of the most well-known and authentic Mexican New Year traditions.
1. Eating Grapes at Midnight
Grapes hold significant meaning in many cultures, especially around the New Year—and Mexico is no exception. Traditionally, Mexicans place twelve grapes in a glass and make a toast with family and friends at midnight. As you might expect, the twelve grapes represent the twelve months of the coming year.
According to tradition, the grapes are believed to bring wishes for the year ahead. Some people believe that whoever finishes eating the grapes first will have good luck in the new year, while others believe that each sweet grape represents a good month, and each sour grape represents a bad month.
2. Hosting a New Year’s Eve Dinner
If you want to celebrate the New Year in true Mexican style, you should plan a large meal to bring the year to a perfect close. One of the most iconic New Year dishes in Mexico is bacalao, a salted cod dish typically prepared with tomatoes, capers, and olives.
For dessert, families in Oaxaca often enjoy buñuelos, sweet fried pastries topped with powdered sugar and syrup. This tradition dates back to pre-colonial Aztec times. The Aztecs shaped these sweets into circles to represent the sun, symbolizing good luck for the year ahead.
Other dishes commonly enjoyed on New Year’s Eve in Mexican households include pozole, tamales, Ensalada de Noche Buena, mole sauce, and stuffed pork loin. While every family has its own traditions, most celebrate with a generous feast shared with loved ones.
3. Wearing Colored Underwear
Another popular New Year tradition is wearing colored underwear before midnight, which is believed to bring specific types of luck in the coming year. Each color represents a different wish:
- Red for romance
- Yellow for wealth
- White for peace
- Green for health
- Blue for achieving long-term goals and tasks
Many Mexicans wear colorful underwear underneath their clothes on New Year’s Eve and change into regular clothing once midnight has passed. Some believe the underwear must be received as a gift in order to bring good luck.
4. Throwing Money Out of the House
Many New Year traditions around the world involve money as a symbol of prosperity. In Mexico, there is a unique ritual associated with wealth for the coming year.
According to tradition, you should throw twelve coins outside your home—either through a window or out the front door—and then sweep them back inside with a broom. If done correctly, this ritual is believed to bring wealth in each month of the new year.
5. Eating Lentils
In Mexican New Year traditions, lentils—like grapes—are considered a lucky food. Because their shape resembles coins, lentils are closely associated with money and prosperity.
Some families eat lentils during dinner, while others eat them separately. In certain regions, people go even further by carrying lentils in their pockets wherever they go to attract good luck. It is also common to give raw lentils as gifts to friends and family to wish them prosperity.
Eating lentils is one of the oldest New Year traditions in Mexican history.
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