Spanish Words & Phrases for Celebrating the New Year
- New Year’s Resolution – Propósitos de Año Nuevo
- New Year’s Eve – Nochevieja
- December 31 – 31 de diciembre
- Midnight – Medianoche
- Happy New Year! – ¡Feliz Año Nuevo!
- 2022 – Dos mil veintidós
- New Year’s Day – día de Año Nuevo
- January 1 – 1 de enero
New Year’s Traditions in Spanish-Speaking Countries
On December 31, Mexicans enjoy a special dinner to ring out the old year and ring in the new. Your family could use this opportunity to try a new meal from a Spanish-speaking country. One idea: try a recipe from our Christmas traditions article. Or, if you’d rather stick to a meal that’s already a family favorite, you can enlist the kids to help with cooking so you can use Spanish words and phrases in the kitchen.
In Spain and other countries, it’s traditional to eat 12 green grapes (doce uvas) as the new year arrives. This is to bring good fortune.
After you eat your grapes, stand up and step forward with your right foot (pie derecho). This is how Argentines start the new year off on, you guessed it, the right foot.
In Ecuador, ringing in the new year means building a bonfire (hoguera). Now, granted, a bonfire isn’t possible at most of our homes. But you can capture the feeling of this tradition if you have a fireplace or chimenea. You and your kids can burn your lists of wishes for the new year or things you want to leave behind in the old year. Bonus points if you write your lists in Spanish!
If your family has limited your travels over the past couple of years, you may especially like this New Year’s tradition from Colombia: Carry an empty suitcase (maleta) around your block to make 2022 a year of travel and new adventures.
