Midnight Run

Question: One of Ecuador’s many quirky New Year’s Eve traditions includes running around the neighborhood at midnight with what?

Answer: A suitcase

Forget the Times Square ball drop, a kiss at midnight, and a few resolutions—when it comes to going all out for New Year’s Eve celebrations, few countries are more passionate than Ecuador. Steeped in tradition, the day is marked with everything from street partying, pyrotechnics, and cross-dressing to the burning of effigies, magical underwear, and—running around the block with a suitcase.

That’s right, as the clock nears midnight, you’ll see people dashing along the streets hauling empty suitcases. Can you guess why? The reason for this lighthearted “suitcase sprint” is that it ensures that participants hoping to travel that they will have globetrotting adventures to look forward to in the upcoming year. But that’s just a fraction of what goes on in the streets of Ecuador on New Year’s Eve—which isn’t even called “New Year’s” by Ecuadorians.

Año Viejo—Happy “Old” Year!!

The monigotes await their fate.

In Ecuador, New Year's is called Año Viejo (Old Year), a celebration that starts early on December 31st and goes on all day and night until dawn on New Year’s Day. The whole point of Año Viejo is to celebrate the farewell of the old year before greeting the arrival of the new one, and preparations begin weeks before the big day. The centerpiece of Año Viejo is the creation and burning of Año Viejo dolls—life-sized effigies crafted by families and friends using old clothes stuffed with newspaper or sawdust by families and friends. Called monigotes, the dolls have masks that depict cartoon characters, public figures, or politicians—or even to resemble people they dislike.

As midnight approaches, the monigotes are placed on sidewalks and streets throughout the country and during the final countdown, they’re set ablaze in giant bonfires. Lighting up neighborhoods nationwide, the burning of the monigotes is a powerful symbol of “forgiving and forgetting,” and letting go of the hardships of the previous year and creating a purified space for a year of new beginnings. And, of course, the burning is accompanied by festive partying with music, drinking, and dancing through the night. Good luck for the upcoming year is supposed to come for those that choose to jump over the Año Viejo puppet while it is ablaze—but to ensure your happiness and prosperity in the coming year, you’re supposed to jump over it twelve times.

We hope he didn’t attempt this jump.

For such a festive holiday tradition, the origins of Año Viejo sprang from a tragic event in Ecuador’s history. In 1895, a yellow fever epidemic devastated Guayaquil, Ecuador’s most populous city. In an attempt to stop the spread of the disease, those not afflicted stuffed coffins with the clothes of the dead and then set everything ablaze—a similar symbol of purification and new beginnings that is celebrated during modern-day Año Viejo.

But setting puppets on fire is still just scratching the surface of Ecuador’s Año Viejo festivities.

This part of Año Viejo is kind of a drag …

To represent the grieving widows left behind by the burned puppets, men throw on a pair of high heels and a sexy dress and roam the streets begging for money. They really do. If you’re driving through the streets of Ecuador late on New Year’s Eve, you better be carrying plenty of change with you. If not, you may be pulled out of your car by one of these sexy “widows” and forced to dance with them in the streets until you cough up some coins.

Better pay up, or these merry widows will have the last dance.

Between the men in drag and people running around with suitcases, things can get a little crazy. But as long as you’re wearing your magic underwear, everything won’t seem so strange—because when the clock strikes 12, the color of your underwear will determine what the New Year will bring. Wearing red or pink means love is coming your way; yellow will bring good fortune and wealth; white for peace and harmony; green or blue foretells a year of good health; and black, unsurprisingly, means bad luck. Not sure what no underwear means … but it makes no difference. No one’s getting any sleep with all the fires, laughter, drinking, music, and dancing that go on until dawn.

You have to admit, trying to stay awake until midnight to watch the ball drop on TV now seems rather dull, doesn’t it? You could always try running around the block with your suitcase …

More Wacky Traditions Around the World—A New Year’s Eve Countdown

TEN …

• Why don’t they just break bread?—A Danish New Year’s tradition is breaking plates on the doorsteps of friends and loved ones. Apparently, the more stoneware shards you find on your doorstep the next day, the more well-liked you are and the luckier you’ll be in the new year—although it doesn’t seem very lucky for whoever has to clean up the mess …

NINE …

• Strange fruit—People in Greece and Turkey greet the New Year by smashing pomegranates on their doorways. The thinking behind it is that your good fortune is directly proportional to the number of seeds that fly out of the fruit on impact—so give it your best Roger Clemens fastball …

EIGHT …

• No, not the pasta maker!—In Naples and surrounding cities, an Italian New Year’s Eve tradition is tossing furniture and appliances out of windows or off of balconies. Symbolizing beginning the year with a fresh start, they’re still taking that “out with the old” expression rather literally. But locals are aware of the potential danger to bystanders and try to only throw smaller and softer objects to—you know, like toasters and couches …

SEVEN …

• Get the lead out—In Germany (and in other European countries), a centuries-old New Year’s Eve tradition is called Bleigießenin (or “lead pouring”). It involves melting tin in a spoon over a flame, then pouring the liquid metal in a bowl of cold water. Interpreting the silvery shape that is formed is the key to divining your future for the upcoming year. Due to its toxicity, pure lead is no longer used. Otherwise, we could easily predict some future bad luck …

SIX …

• Near death experience—For some reason, Chileans feel that New Year’s Eve is the perfect time to head to the cemetery and have a picnic with your dead loved ones. A quiet cemetery at night, surrounded by dead bodies? No, that’s not creepy at all …

FIVE …

• The first rule of Fight Club …—This one actually takes place on December 25th, but it’s too good to pass up. Residents of Chumbivilcas province in the Peruvian Andes take part in Takanakuy (meaning either “to beat each other” or “when the blood is boiling”), an annual no-holds-barred fighting festival designed to settle old grievances and start the New Year with a clean slate. Bouts can get bloody and take place in a sporting arena in front of thousands with men, women, and children able to participate. As the ultimate goal of Takanakuy is to begin the New Year in peace, fights all begin and end with hugs. Sounds like a cross between “The Airing of the Grievances” and “Feats of Strength” from Festivus, doesn’t it?

FOUR …

• Starting things off on the right foot—In Argentina, it’s customary to start the New Year off on the right foot—literally. At the strike of midnight, everyone takes their first step of the year leading with their right foot.

THREE …

• Does this vodka taste pulpy?—A New Year’s Eve tradition in Russia is writing down your wishes for the upcoming year on paper and burning it. Then you swirl some of the ashes in your glass and drink it before the clock strikes 12.

TWO …

• Something we heard through the grapevine—A popular tradition in Spain is eating 12 large grapes, one for every strike of the countdown clock until midnight. Finishing them all in time ensures a year of good luck. The grapes’ flavor—sweet or sour—is also a predictor of next year’s harvest. Called las doce uvas de la suerte(the 12 lucky grapes), the tradition is said to have originated after an exceptional grape harvest in Spain in 1909.

ONE …

• If we could talk to the animals …—A Romanian New Year’s Eve tradition is dressing up in furs and masks of animals and dancing from house to house to ward off evil spirits and bring prosperity to friends and neighbors. Another tradition has Romanian farmers talking to their barnyard animals on New Year’s Eve—and if the animals talk back, the farmers will have a prosperous year. Or will be sent to a psychiatric facility, we’re not sure …

While you may not participate in a New Year’s suitcase sprint, you’ll discover rich Ecuadorian traditions at any time of year during Ultimate Galápagos Exploration & Ecuador’s Amazon Wilds.