12 Chimes, 12 Grapes, 12 Wishes
MexicoMexicans celebrate New Year's Eve, Año Nuevo in Spanish, by downing a grape with each of the twelve chimes of the bell during the midnight countdown, while making a wish with each one. Mexican families decorate homes and parties, during New Year's, with colors such as red, to encourage an overall improvement of lifestyle and love, yellow to encourage blessings of improved employment conditions, green to improve financial circumstances and white to improved health. Mexican sweet bread is baked with a coin or charm hidden in the dough. When the bread is served, the recipient whose slice contains the coin or charm is believed to be blessed with good luck in the New Year.
Another tradition is making a list of all the bad or unhappy events from the current year; before midnight, this list is thrown into a fire, symbolizing the removal of negative energy from the New Year. At the same time,thanks is expressed for all the good things had during the year that is coming to its end so that they will continue to be had in the new year.
Mexicans celebrate by having a late-night dinner with their families, the traditional meal being turkey and mole, a tradition which has now spanned worldwide. Those who want to party generally go out afterwards, to local parties or night clubs. If you're in Mexico, you can still enjoy festivities in the street. In Rocky Point you can expect a lot of firecrackers, fireworks and sparklers. At midnight there is a lot of noise and everyone shouts: "¡Felizañonuevo!" (Happy New Year).
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