20 Weird South American Rituals That Seem Crazy To Us
By Juliet Smith
9 months ago
Fireworks for Christmas Day
Image Source/ Reddit
We're all pretty much aware of setting off fireworks and firecrackers for New Year's, but how about Christmas? Lots of people in Latin America go to church on Christmas Eve for a late supper and Mass. Noche Buena is like, way more of a party than Christmas Day. In places like Guatemala and the Dominican Republic, people light up "bombas" or firecrackers at midnight to start the Christmas Day party.Eating 12 Grapes on Christmas
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This one is a pretty strange New Year's Eve tradition for some people living in countries in South America. When the clock hits midnight, folks in Spanish-speaking countries like Cuba and Spain make sure to chow down on 12 grapes - one for each month of the new year to bring in some good luck. I know what I'll be trying when welcoming in the new year!Avocado, but sweet
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Let's be honest, avocado, particularly a hipster fruit of this day and age, has become super popular in the health world. People love eating it with salads or on toast with a bunch of really healthy toppings. But Brazilians actually prefer their avocado to be sweet, so they often have it as a smoothie with whole milk, sugar, and sometimes even honey.Eating Feijoada on a Wednesday
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Wednesday is the official day for feijoada in Brazil and you can bet restaurants will have it on their lunch menu. If you're not used to it, you might feel like you really need a nap after eating feijoada. But most Brazilians can eat this heavy meal of black beans, dried meat, sausage, rice, and farofa and then go back to work without much more than a quick espresso to fight off the sleepiness.Making sure you wear the right underwear on New Year's Eve
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In lots of Latin American countries, the undies you rock on New Year's Eve can totally affect your year ahead. Wearing yellow undies, like, is supposed to bring you good luck or fortune in the new year. Wearing red undies is believed to bring good luck in love. Oh, and by the way, in lots of places around the world, people believe that wearing black on New Year's Eve is like asking for bad luck.Handling silver at Christmas time
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It's safe to say that South Americans have some pretty wild and interesting traditions to undertake when the New Year kicks in. Whether or not they're based in truth, is another question. One of the more ludicrous claims is that they say that holding silver at midnight can bring you mad luck in different countries. Why not give it a shot, huh?The wool toy lamb tradition
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Do you believe in inanimate objects bringing you good fortune and encouraging good things to happen to you in life? Well, you might not, but there are people in the world out there right now that really do believe in the power of rituals. In Mexico and other Latin American countries, it's like a tradition to hang a cute wool toy lamb from your front door for good luck.Handing out treats on The Day of Cosme and Damian
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So Catholics celebrate the Day of Patron Saint Cosme and Patron Saint Damian on September 26, while those who follow andomblé, xangô, xambá, umbanda, and batuque religions celebrate it on September 27. In Brazil, there's a very interesting tradition where they give candies and toys to kids who spend the day roaming the streets and collecting as many treats as they can.Ordering a saideira
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You ever been ready to go home on a night out and just slip out of the bar without telling anyone? Well, unfortunately this isn't always welcome in South America. You can't just bounce from the bar without having a saideira first. A saideira is like the final drink of the night when you're at a bar. If you and your buddies are about to head, you gotta order one last saideira and settle the bill.Dia dos Namorados
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Lots of countries in Central and South America celebrate St. Valentine's Day, but Brazil's Dia dos Namorados is pretty unique for a couple of reasons. Instead of happening on February 14, it goes down on June 12, the night before St. Anthony's Day. Single ladies, in particular, have a blast doing their thing with these cool activities called simpatias. These traditions could be stuff like slipping a love letter into a basil pot or plopping a rose in a glass of water.Three Kings Day
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In a lot of Latin America, Three Kings Day in January is when kids get presents, just like how baby Jesus got gold, frankincense, and myrrh from the three wise guys. Another cool thing that Spain brought over to Latin America is this holiday called the Epiphany. It's when God decided to show himself in human form as his son, Jesus, in the western Christian tradition. Kids leave their shoes by the door so the three kings know where to stop and put hay for the magi’s camels.Burning effigies
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In Panama and Ecuador, people burn "muñecos" which are like dolls representing important people from the news, politics, or even someone's personal life from the past year. It's a way to say goodbye to the old stuff. The dolls are shown off after Christmas and then set on fire in a big bonfire. Pretty cathartic, huh? I wonder who I'd make an effigy of to burn...Throwing water out a window
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Imagine it being so easy to embrace a new chapter of your life when coming out of some stormy situations! Well, in places like Cuba, you can just toss a bucket of water out your door or window to show that you're starting fresh. You'll get bonus points if someone who dissed you in the past year is standing right below. Nah, just messing around. Kinda.Always have a soccer team to support
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Brazilians totally get how football is an ultimate passion, more than any other country for sure. Everyone, from men and women, to little kiddos, usually have a squad the whole-heartedly support. And when those rival teams go head-to-head on the field in football stadiums, things get crazy emotional. The crowd goes wild with thousands of fans hollering, jeering, and belting out tunes. It's a total frenzy!A samba school to support too!
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This one's more about Rio de Janeiro, where lots of folks are all about samba schools, just like they are with football teams. A samba school isn't really a school, but more like a group that gets ready to compete in the Carnival parades. They like, totally help out poor communities by giving them free education and stuff. And they're super good at making their supporters really loyal.Enjoying a Brazilian Churrasco
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There are barbecues and then you have the Brazilian churrasco. It's, like, a whole other level. Churrascos are super common 'casual' get-togethers where friends and family hang out at someone's crib to chill, sip some drinks, and grub on a never-ending supply of juicy beef, flavorful chicken wings, squeaky cheese, and legit pork sausages. One dude will start walkin' around with a tray of bomb BBQ food while everyone else chills and sips on cold beers or strong caipirinhas.Horseradish Festival in Oaxaca
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On the Noche de Rábanos, December 23rd, Mexicans wait in line for hours in the main square of Oaxaca to check out the huge radishes that are carved into all sorts of cool stuff like nativity scenes, Oaxacan folklore, and even the latest political caricature. The story goes that two friars were yanking out these massive, weird-looking radishes that had been stuck in the ground. Then, the farmers decided to get all creative and started carving these radishes into funky shapes to sell at their Christmas market.The Parintins Folklore Festival
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The Parintins Folklore Festival in Amazonas, also called the Boi Bumba festival, is one of the biggest parties in Brazil. It's second only to Salvador's and Rio de Janeiro's Carnival. The whole shindig is all about this crazy story of a resurrected ox. Just like those wild Carnival parades, teams go head-to-head to see who can tell the story in the most mind-blowing, flashy way. The festival happens for three days in June and the performances mix Brazilian, indigenous, and local cultures.Hiding money around the house
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In Ecuador, people believe that stashing cash anonymously around the house can bring good luck and make you richer. (BRB, I'm gonna go try this out for myself!) Bonus points for this one: if you forgot where you stashed your cash and then stumble upon it months later, it's like scoring some free money. It's clear that many South American countries enjoy performing symbolic and meaningful rituals.Easter for Christmas!
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In Chile, people usually call the Christmas season Pascua, even though in other Spanish-speaking countries it usually means "Easter". But Pascua can also mean any special and holy day on the Christian calendar. So, in Chile, the Christmas feast happens on Christmas Eve, usually pretty late, like around 9 p.m. or even later. They serve up some tasty dishes like roasted turkey with chestnuts, cola de mono punch, and for dessert, they have pan de Pascua. Yum!Placing flowers in the ocean while wearing white
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Looking for a stroke of good luck and fortune? Well, in Brazil, if you wanna bring in some good luck and fortune into your life, you gotta rock some fresh, white undies (or go all out in white) while you jump seven waves or (if you'd prefer) toss flowers into the ocean. Trust me, it's the way to go! Many Brazilians partake in this ritual with the hopes of bettering their life.Walking aimlessly with a suitcase
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Looking to travel when the New Year kicks in? Lots of people think that if you walk in a circle with a suitcase, either around your house or around the neighborhood, it'll bring you lots of travel opportunities in the new year. Not sure how much science and case studies back up this wild claim, but I'm willing to give it a go! There's a few places to tick off my bucket list.Las Posadas
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So, for nine nights in December, people all dressed up as Mary and Joseph lead a bunch of Christians through towns and cities in Mexico, Guatemala and Honduras. They basically act out the journey that Mary and Joseph took to Bethlehem. During las Posadas, which means "inns" in English, the singing groups go to different houses but get rejected until they find one that lets them in. Then they have a good time with singing, reading scripture, eating, and having fun!Letting off a rifle
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There's a lot of festivals that take place around South American countries that can take on loads of different meanings or be symbolic in many different ways. However, some people take to shooting rifles at the festivals and New Year celebrations! Shooting a rifle into the air to celebrate is definitely not a good idea, but it's something that definitely happens in Miami's Latino neighborhoods.The La Alborada Festival
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La Alborada is really a pretty new festival in Medellín, Colombia, that started in 2003. It happens on the night of November 30, kicking off December with fireworks all over the city. Medellín also throws a super famous Christmas lights show all December long. It's a pretty recognized tradition that many people partake in across all of Colombia.Making offers to Lemanja
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