La ropa interior amarilla se vende como pan caliente en estos días en Santiago. Al igual que en varios países de América Latina, en Chile se usa al recibir el Año Nuevo para invocar prosperidad, amor y abundancia, tal como comer lentejas o uvas a la medianoche, tradiciones muy arraigadas en la región.
"It is for love, for luck, for money and so that this year everyone does," says Gladys Leal while selling female underwear of all types and sizes and also men in the traditional Meiggs neighborhood from Santiago.
"They are to bring good luck next year; for single ones, for love.The yellow is connected to the golden ray, which is of abundance and prosperity, "says Mariela Quintana, who also sells in this popular commercial neighborhood of Santiago.
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In Chile, tradition indicates that the yellow underwear used during New Year's night must be given away.Some propose that you also have to put it backwards to ensure a year with greater passion.
"More than with yellow panties, tradition has to do with color," the writer Héctor Velis-Meza, author of the book "The Secret History of Christmas and New Year" explains to the AFP, in which he states thatAlthough yellow has normally associated with bad luck, in this case it refers to the sun, which represents eternity.
In Mexico, Peru and Ecuador you also have yellow underwear to attract prosperity, although what is sought is love this has to be red.In Uruguay, Argentina and Brazil, on the other hand, the calendar with pink garments under clothes must be started.
And in Venezuela, in addition, it is essential, for good fortune, release everything that is wearing.
In good part of the countries of the region, lentils are eaten on New Year's night and 12 grapes, one for each month of the year that has been accompanying the 12 bells and asking for a desire with each one.Also those who aspire to travel just at midnight a small walk carrying a suitcase.
Another of the most widespread traditions in Chile is to give the first new greeting hug to someone of the opposite sex, which would ensure love during the next 12 months.
In Uruguay, it is usual for people to throw a bucket of water to the street to clean the path of the year that begins and that from the windows thousands of tarks of calendars of the old year fly.
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Meanwhile in Brazil, with an important devout population of cults such as Candomblé and UmbondismTo ensure peace and prosperity.
And in some countries, dolls representing unpopular figures are burned, a custom rooted in old Andean indigenous practices of popular justice, which allows citizens to unleash their anger against those characters against those characters.
In Ecuador, for example, at 12 at night of 31 people go out to the streets with their monigotes made of sawdust or periodic paper to burn them, but before, they hit him with a belt to fire everything bad of the year that ends andthus start with good luck the new.
In the streets are the widows, groups of men disguised as women, who ask for alms to bury their "old", which is the monigote.Some "widows" wear sensual clothes, flirt with drivers and dance on cars.
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All these traditions are deeply rooted in Latin America countries and are repeated year after year as a sacred ritual for thousands of people, seasoning one of the most anticipated celebrations.
Many have been transferred from generation to generation after being inherited from native cultures and also by European settlers in a unique mixture."Many of these cabals do not have much relationship with us, because they brought from Europe because of the conquerors," explains Velis-Meza.
An example is the tradition of eating lentils, which was exported from Europe, where through the intake of a very caloric meal it is sought to prepare the body for the winter that just begins.
