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One of the most well-known traditions in Guatemala is the first hug of the New Year. It’s believed that the person you embrace at the stroke of midnight will bring you good luck in love. 2. Wearing Yellow Underwear for Prosperity. A superstition that is widely practiced on New Year’s Eve is wearing yellow underwear. If you’re lucky enough to be visiting Guatemala this winter, you may be spending New Year’s Eve here. If you’re unsure where to go or what to do, fear not – we’ve got you covered. From street parties and fireworks in Antigua to dancing the night away at Lake Atitlan, here are the best ways to enjoy New Year’s Eve in Guatemala. New Years Eve celebration in Guatemala reminds me of the Independence Day in the USA. It is a family event for picnics outside, BBQs, parades and fireworks. The just substitute hispanic equivalents for everything and you have the basic idea. Traditional black tamales Posadas are some of the most heartwarming Christmas and New Years traditions in Guatemala. Check out nativity scenes, ponches, tamales, and more! Across the mountains, beaches and rainforests of Guatemala, colorful fireworks explode at midnight marking New Year’s Day and giving signal that it’s time for el abrazo - hugging everyone in your home, followed by knocking on the neighbors' doors so you can hug them too. But let’s retrace our steps. Enjoy New Year’s Eve in Antigua Guatemala! Antigua is not a town that people connect with spending New Year’s Eve. But it is an excellent choice, especially since the launch of the Lumino Fest. So if you were wondering where to celebrate New Year’s in Guatemala, we hope you found the answer! New Year's Eve celebrations in Antigua Guatemala are very colorful and deep in religious symbolism. Check out pics of their most popular traditions here. New Year’s Eve is celebrated throughout Guatemala, with the largest and most elaborate celebrations taking place in the capital city of Guatemala City. Other popular places to celebrate include Antigua, a charming colonial city, and the Mayan villages of Lake Atitlan. December 31 – New Year’s Eve (Fin del Año) Plaza Mayor in Guatemala City is the hub for celebrating New Year’s Eve in Guatemala. One of the best New Year’s Eve parties in Guatemala takes place on the rooftop of the Hyatt Centric Hotel. New Year’s Eve is celebrated with vigor throughout Guatemala. People wear new clothes in the hope of receiving prosperity and good fortune. Parties last all night, dances erupt spontaneously, and music fills the air. Read about New Year's Eve in Guatemala in 2024. New Year's Eve is December 31st, the last day of the year, in the Gregorian calendar. Countries who still use the Julian Calendar observe New Year's Eve on 13th January. Gatemalans love New Year’s Eve because it allows them to use something they very much enjoy: fireworks. Where to go in Guatemala for New Year’s Eve Everyone in Guatemala will tell you that the best place to be for this holiday is in the city of Antigua. This is the equivalent of how Americans tell you the biggest New Year’s celebration is in New York City. Antigua is the main hub for New Year's decorations in Antigua Guatemala. 3 days before New Years Eve we went to the bars and restaurants in Guatemala asking what the plans would be for New Years in Antigua. They all told us that we would have to arrive about 6pm on New Years Eve and probably should reserve our place in the bar or restaurant. forward to the positive energy of the next Mayan year. During this period there are Mayan fire ceremonies, sunrise and sunset ceremonies, and mid-day ceremonies that take place around the Lake Atitlan (Lago de Atitlán). Guatemalan Modern New Year Traditions Of course, Guatemalans celebrate the regular New Year you're used to on January 1st, too! 4 – Christmas Eve Celebrations; 5 – New Year's Eve Celebrations; 6 – Affordable Christmas Getaway; 7 – Great Christmas Atmosphere; Where To Stay For Christmas In Antigua Guatemala; Other Things To Do In Antigua At Christmas. 1 – Hike up Acatenango Volcano; 2 – Join a 'free' walking tour; 3 – Visit Museo Nacional de Arte de Guatemala New Year’s Day – 1 January. New Year’s Day is a public holiday in Guatemala. It’s usually a quiet day in Guatemala City, with everyone recovering from the festivities of New Year’s Eve. Most Guatemalans spend the day with family, letting off a few fireworks and eating some delicious holiday fare. If you’re in Guatemala for New Year With 2 months, 5,000+ miles and 3 countries in the rearview New Year’s Eve lands us in Flores, Guatemala. We’re closer to the Panama Canal than we are to Ace Adventure Resort where this whole mess started. On a straight shot it’s about 1,200 miles to the tip of South America. It’s still 4 countries away, but we got this. Christmas Eve is celebrated with the family at home or at your parents’ home; New Year’s Eve can be celebrated anywhere: a discotheque, a park, the beach or La Calle del Arco and Parque Central will be the popular venues in Antigua Guatemala tonight. New Year’s Eve is less religious than Christmas’ Eve and there are many more parties to On New Year's Eve, leading up to the arrival of New Year's Day, it's common for Guatemalans to participate in special rituals believed to bring good fortune for the upcoming year. This includes the 'Burning of the Devil', a tradition where effigies, often crafted out of old clothes and filled with firecrackers, are set ablaze in the streets. In Guatemala the New Year’s Eve dinner can vary a lot, from the typical tamales, to baked turkey, baked hen, pepián or one of the favorites of the night: lomo relleno, stuffed top loin. The stuffing can include black chorizo, red chorizo, white longaniza, ham, ground meat, olives, hard-boiled eggs, to named the most popular stuffings.
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