Tegucigalpa – Some more well-known than others, rituals are an important part of a sector of Honduran society to say goodbye to the old year and welcome the new year.
Among the best-known rituals that Hondurans perform on New Year's Eve is eating 12 grapes at 12 midnight. For each grape that is eaten, a wish must be made or a New Year's resolution must be marked.
Another well-known ritual is wearing yellow or red underwear, in each case it is asked for money or prosperity or luck in love.
The ritual of the suitcase also stands out, which consists of running out of the house with a suitcase at exactly 12 at night as a prelude to a year of many trips.
The burning of stick figures is also a traditional ritual in the Central American country since the burning of a human figure made from gunpowder and old clothing leaves behind all the bad things of the year, to this ritual is added the fact that each year the figures can represent a character from society, on this occasion, mainly in Honduras, stick figures will be burned with the figure of the current president Juan Orlando Hernández who will finish his second presidential term on January 27.
Among the rituals with less practice is the clean with egg which consists of leaving a glass of water and an egg next to a window, door or even under the bed, the yolk of which can take different shapes and colors , that gives a reading of how clean the person who does this type of practice was.
A little less well known is the water ritual, which consists of throwing water through the window to the rhythm of the 12 strokes of midnight and with them the sorrows of the year that is ending are chased away.
Another ritual that can have variations is to place basic grains in the corners of houses or hug loved ones with a handful so that there is prosperity in the home.
Known or not, these are some of the rituals that accompany Hondurans on New Year's Eve.
It should be noted that these practices do not correspond to the majority of society, but there are those who do them with the belief that what they ask for will be fulfilled. They are not accepted by churches that encourage spiritual recollection and family celebration.
Additionally, the rituals can have variations since they are beliefs that have been transmitted from generation to generation and with the passage of time have undergone changes according to the convenience of those who practice them. (RO)
