Dominican New Year's Eve has a script, and every family follows most of it.
The dinner#
Late, at home, the second big meal of the week after Nochebuena: often the same food, roast pork, moro de guandules, ensalada rusa, telera, pasteles en hoja, with the leftovers of Christmas and a new cake. Christmas in the Dominican Republic has the Nochebuena table; Dominican food explains the dishes.
Midnight, in order#
| Tradition | What it is for |
|---|---|
| Twelve grapes | One per chime, one wish each, one for each month |
| Yellow underwear | Luck and money; red for love |
| The suitcase | Walked around the block for a year of travel |
| Water out the door | A bucket thrown from the doorway or balcony to send the old year away |
| Cider | The toast, more often than champagne |
| Lentils | Eaten by some families for money |
| A clean house | Cleaned that day, so nothing old crosses into the new year |
Then hugs, fireworks, and the street.
After midnight#
The Malecón in the capital, the beach in Punta Cana, the plaza in every town, the colmado on every corner. Music until dawn. New Year's Eve in Santo Domingo and in Punta Cana describe the two versions.
1 January#
For sleeping. Shops and most restaurants are closed and the country wakes in the afternoon. The season ends on 6 January, Three Kings, when children get their presents.
Joining in#
Buy the grapes and the yellow underwear at any supermarket in the last week of December; both are piled by the door. Do the suitcase. Stand clear of balconies at midnight. And if you are invited to a table, go: the dinner is the whole tradition, and it is not for sale. Santo Domingo has more Local Friends than any city on Roavi; post your dates on Roavi Community.
New Year's Eve in the Dominican Republic? Do the grapes and the suitcase with someone who grew up doing them.
Meet a Local FriendFrequently Asked Questions
Why do Dominicans eat twelve grapes at midnight?
One for each chime of midnight and each month of the year, with a wish per grape. The custom came from Spain and is shared across Latin America; in the Dominican Republic the grapes are on every table on the 31st.Why yellow underwear on New Year's Eve?
Yellow for luck and money in the year ahead, red for love. It is worn on the 31st, often bought new for the occasion, and given as a half-joking gift in the days before.What is the suitcase tradition?
At midnight, or just after, you take a suitcase and walk it around the block so the new year brings travel. In apartment buildings people walk it down the corridor or around the parking lot; the point is to leave the house with it.Why do Dominicans throw water out the door at midnight?
A bucket of water thrown out the front door, or off the balcony, carries the old year and its bad luck out of the house. Done at midnight, often with a shout. Stand clear of balconies on the street.
