As the countdown to New Year's Eve commences, Latin American traditions and superstitions take center stage.
One unique practice that stands out every year is the choice of colored underwear, believed to usher in a year of luck, prosperity, and/or romance. It depends on the color underwear you, well, wear.
"In South America in particular, there are a few beliefs and customs surrounding your chosen New Year’s Eve underpants. In Brazil, Bolivia, and Venezuela, for example, opting for a yellow pair of undies on December 31 is said to bring luck, money, and happiness in the new year, due to the color’s association with all of these traits. … " writes MentalFloss.
There’s more to it.
"It’s new underwear – it has to be new," insists Berenice Villagomez, Coordinator of Latin American Studies at the University of Toronto, echoing a commonly upheld tenet in this tradition, as reported by CTVNews.ca.
Where did this superstition come from? Well, it depends who you ask.
How it All Began
Some believe the superstition, or belief, originated from ancient pagan customs where clothing worn on New Year's Eve was thought to sway the favor of the gods and goddesses presiding over various aspects of your life.
In these cultures, attire held significant sway.
If you sought a bountiful harvest, donning green attire was an homage to the goddess of the harvest. Similarly, choosing white garments was a tribute to the goddess of health, aimed at securing a year of well-being and vitality.
"Wearing lucky or unlucky underwear on New Year's Eve was likely just another way to try and appease the gods and goddesses and ensure a good year ahead," the lingerie retailer Vy's closet explains on its site.
Then again, maybe it’s all in our heads.
Anabel Maldonado, the founder of PSYKHE, a platform that uses “psychology-powered” AI, draws a modern parallel, linking the act of wearing colored underwear on New Year's Eve to the "enclothed cognition" theory.
Enclothed cognition, she tells the outlet POPSUGAR, argues that how we dress informs our psychological processes, thoughts, and feelings, according to researchers at Northwestern University, Hajo Adam and Adam Galinsky, who coined the concept.
"While the superstitions have a much more metaphysical interpretation, I believe our ancestors were just missing the middle step: the fact that if we think it and believe it, we're halfway there to what we desire," Maldonado tells POPSUGAR, shedding light on the psychological underpinnings of this tradition.
Others turn to the stars for astrological insight.
“Even astrologers agree that different colors contain different types of energy,” InStyle magazine writes.
6 Lucky NYE Colors
As New Year’s Eve, or Nochevieja, approaches, maybe it’s time to embrace this time-honored tradition. Who can’t use some luck in the new year?
To help you out, here’s a guide to the NYE underwear colors and what each symbolizes:
- Red: The color of passion, often associated with love and allure, enticing the prospect of new romance.
- Yellow: Symbolizing luck, fostering aspirations for fortuitous outcomes.
- Green: Reflective of wealth and financial prospects, attracting prosperity.
- Pink: Linked with fun and friendship, aiding in building new relationships.
- White: Signifying new beginnings, peace, and/or prosperity, creating fresh starts in relationships or careers.
- Blue: Tied to health, bringing you a healthy mind, body, and soul.
