Celebrating New Year’s Eve in Bolivia
Bolivia celebrates two new years- January 1st and June 21st. (The latter is considered the Aymara New Year.) You’ll find that the New Year’s Eve celebrations of December 31st share a lot in common with those of other South American countries.
Roast pork is the traditional dinner choice, as it represents bounty and prosperity, followed by a champagne toast. The Spanish tradition of eating 12 grapes while making wishes is commonly observed, but the most important custom is the wearing of colored underwear. Yellow is for wealth and luck, and red is for love. You’ll find that underwear is a popular item for the mobile vendors on the street.
Even those who spend the evening with their
families will often choose to go out dancing after midnight. In La Paz, themed parties are popular (80s, metal, etc). However, many people do travel to the tropical yungas and Amazon rainforest or Lake Titicaca, taking advantage of the fact that New Year’s Eve coincides with summer vacation. Coroico (on the edge of the tropics) and Sun Island (in Lake Titicaca) are said to have better parties than La Paz.
However, those of you who choose to spend New Year’s in La Paz won’t be disappointed spending it with friends at Pirwa La Paz. Celebrating with other travelers is a great way to ring in a new year of adventures around the world!
