New Year's Eve in Ecuador

New Year's Eve in Ecuador is a vibrant and festive occasion marked by a blend of traditional customs, family gatherings, and modern celebrations. It is locally known as "Año Viejo" (Old Year).

History and Traditions

• Año Viejo Effigies: A unique tradition in Ecuador is the creation of effigies called "años viejos" or "monigotes." These are often made to resemble public figures, cartoon characters, or other notable personalities from the passing year. The effigies represent bad memories or negativity from the previous year.
• Burning of Effigies: At midnight, these effigies are burned in a symbolic act of purging the past and welcoming the new year with a fresh start.
• Viudas (Widows): Men dress up as women, portraying the "widows" of the años viejos. They humorously stop cars on the street asking for coins to "support" themselves after their "husbands" are gone.
• Testamento: Some effigies come with a mock will or "testamento," which humorously recounts events from the past year and sometimes includes light-hearted jabs at prominent figures.

Modern Celebrations

• Fireworks: Firework displays are common, lighting up cities like Quito and Guayaquil. These shows attract both locals and tourists.
• Street Parties: Many streets fill with revelers, music, and dancing as people celebrate outdoors. Local vendors sell traditional foods and drinks.
• Twelve Grapes: As in other Latin countries, it's customary to eat twelve grapes at midnight—one grape for each strike of the clock—making a wish with each grape for good luck in each month of the coming year.

Family Gatherings

• Families often come together on New Year's Eve for dinner, sharing traditional dishes like turkey, pork leg ("pernil"), or tamales. The meal is an important part of bidding farewell to the old year and welcoming what lies ahead.

Ecuadorians across the country engage enthusiastically in these rituals to close out the old year and ring in the new with hopefulness and joy.