New Year's in Cuba: History, Traditions, and Superstitions
Fireworks in Havana. Photo by Carlos M. Perez Penichet.
Cubans celebrate many holidays including Halloween, Christmas, New Year's Eve, and Three Kings Day (just to name a few). In Cuba, New Year’s Day also marks National Liberation Day when the city of Santiago de Cuba surrendered and thus, began the Cuban Revolution in 1959. Although these holidays are considered part of Cuban tradition, this was not always the case.
History of Cuban New Year’s
On December 24th, 1959, Fidel Castro shared Christmas Eve dinner with a small group of locals from the Ciénaga de Zapata. Fidel’s act was intended to be a declaration of the Cuban Revolution — to help the poor and equally distribute wealth. Before 1959, many holidays in Cuba, such as Christmas and New Year’s, were considered by some as displays of power and elevated social status. Fidel was against what he considered traditions of the United States which did not represent the revolution or national identity. In December of 1972, the government enacted the National Commemorations Law which abolished celebrating Three Kings Day and Christmas in Cuba.
This measure happened during the “Quinquenio Gris” period (five grey years), when some Cuban traditions and cultural practices were declared unaligned with government interests and therefore, required censoring. It took international intervention for Cuba to reclaim some holidays deemed inappropriate. In 1998, Pope Juan Pablo II visited Havana and took it upon himself to declare Christmas a national holiday again. Nowadays, most Cubans celebrate Christmas, regardless of social status. For many, it’s simply another reason to gather and share a good time around a Christmas tree (no matter if it’s fake), while some practicing Cuban Catholics celebrate Christmas following its religious context.
Cuban New Year’s Traditions
Cubans are known to find any excuse to throw a party, so imagine what’s planned for a “real” reason such as New Year’s Eve? Preparations start at the beginning of the month, as most Cubans know they cannot risk shopping last-minute in such an irregular and often undersupplied market. The traditional Cuban menu includes pork leg, congri rice (mixed rice and beans), yuca (cassava) with mojo (sauce), tostones (smashed, fried green plantains), salad, and a homemade dessert called a buñuelo which essentially is a sweet, fried dough ball — yum!
The Cuban New Year’s Eve tradition of grilling pork.
The popular dessert — buñuelos.
The average Cuban orders pork in advance and often from the black market. Yuca and other menu items are typically abundant around New Year’s, so they are relatively easy to find. What can be the most worrisome to locate (besides pork) are beer and Cuban rum — those are a must!
New Year’s Eve in Cuba is anything but subdued — neighbors play a variety of reggaeton, salsa, bolero, and more, creating a cacophony from all directions. Families and friends boisterously socialize and celebrate — laughing and letting loose! Dinner is highly anticipated, as the pork leg is cooked slowly over low heat throughout the day. Cooking is a joint effort that is interspersed with drinks, conversation, and music. The dinner feast is accompanied by a nice, festive table setting. Everyone dresses in their best attire as it’s the time of year to make a statement. After dinner, dancing ensues. Finally, at midnight, there is the typical countdown, plus the much-anticipated kissing and hugging. Fireworks are set off along the Malecón (the roadway and seawall that stretches 8 km along the coast in Havana) and people take to the streets to continue celebrating.
New Year's Eve CUBAN Superstitions
While New Year’s is full of Cuban traditions, there are also superstitions that permeate the holiday. Here are some typical Cuban superstitions one may practice.
Washing away the bad: On the day of New Year’s Eve, many Cubans thoroughly clean their home and keep the dirty mop water until midnight. At that time, they throw the dirty water into the street as a symbol of washing away anything bad that happened that year, with the hope of starting the new year with good, clean energy.
Burning a doll: In some regions of Cuba, especially rural areas, people burn a human-sized rag doll. This doll symbolizes anything negative that happened in the past year. At midnight, people gather around the doll and set it on fire, like an effigy, to bring good luck the next year.
Burning a doll, or effigy, on New Year’s Eve in Cuba.
Notes into the sea: Some Cubans choose to spend New Year’s Eve on the Malecón and throw hand-written notes into the sea. Typically, the note includes wishes for the new year. It is believed that if you do it with enough faith, your desires will be fulfilled.
Walking with a suitcase: This superstition is tied to many Cubans’ desire to travel abroad. It consists of packing a suitcase and walking around the streets at midnight. By doing so, the hope is to be able to travel internationally within the next year.
These Cuban superstitions speak to the creative ways in which some choose to spend the last day of the year. Many of these beliefs lie in Cubans’ desire for a pleasant life and more opportunities. On New Year’s Day, people greet each other in the street saying, "Congratulations!" and wishing each other a happy, healthy year. Despite how difficult someone’s circumstances may be and the uncertainty about how the coming year will go, many Cubans are grateful for what they have, their loved ones, and the opportunity to celebrate the new year together, as the holiday brings a lot of joy and that’s what life is all about.