New Year's Eve Traditions in Ecuador

There are lots of New Year’s Eve traditions in Ecuador and it was fun to observe preparations and join the celebrations.

Here are some of the things that happen.

One of the most popular New Year’s traditions is the burning of a family’s “año viejo” (old year) or monigote. Ecuadorians fill old clothes with sawdust to create these figures that can look like a real person or an imaginary character with the addition of a mask. The monigote figures represent the old year that is burned in a bonfire at the stroke of midnight. Families sometimes create their monigotes to look like hated politicians that they hope will not be around next year. Some monigotes represent more traditional values, relating to religion or a personal meaning created by the family members. Some are purely for fun, such as cartoon characters and superheroes!

The next tradition is to throw a letter into the fire that contains a list of all the things you hope to leave behind in the “old year.” Many people write about any hardships they have had or things that have stressed them out.

Another interesting feature of Ecuador New Years celebrations are the "viudas" (the widows). Every year, men across the country will dress up in drag as widowed women, usually stuffing their clothes with balloons, donning elegant high heels and tiny skirts. Then, they take to the streets and collect money from the cars on the streets. Why are there so many widows? Because the effigies are almost always men, which leaves a lot of women without a husband.

The "Viudas" are very insistent and will block the streets and dance in front of cars until someone pays their toll. They tend to start first thing in the morning of New Year's Eve and continue throughout the day.

Another lighthearted tradition is related to the color of the underwear that you use as the clock passes midnight. Red is predicted to bring you love in the coming year, while Yellow brings prosperity.