Agúizotes (ah-gee-so-tays) are a tradition in Costa Rica and many Latin American countries. They can be defined as a superstitious beliefs. Some people use them to play the national lottery (la lotería) while others use to make their dreams come true for the new year. In the case of the lottery some play the numbers of their date of birth (natalicio or fecha de nacimiento). Others use the numbers of their children’s birthday (cumpleaños or cumple in slang), their own lucky number (número de suerte) or choose number at random (al azar).
Most often los agüizotes are associated with the coming year (el año venidero) and the desire to begin the new year con el pie derecho (to start the year with the right foot). Other expressions are: Año Nuevo, vida nueva (a new year, a new life), Borrón y cuenta nueva (to start with a clean slate) or Comenzar con el viento a su favor (start the with winds blowing in your favor and not against you).
Here are some popular agüizotes:
(1) Wear your clothes inside out on New Years Eve (Noche Vieja or la noche de año viejo) and turn them right side out after midnight.
(2) Using any type of yellow clothing. In Mexico the color of choice is red and in Argentina the color is pink.
(3) Eating twelve grapes at midnight.
(4) Cleaning the whole house to remove the the bad vibes (la mala vibra) or spirits (los espiritus malos) that have accumulated during the past year. The cleaner the house the more chances of good things happening during the coming year.
(5) The lighting of white, red or green candles to bring love, harmony, health and wealth in the coming year. The white candles bring clarity, the red bring passion and the green health.
(6) If you want to marriage, stand up and sit down each time the clock strikes (Dar la hora) twelve times at midnight.
(7) If you want money, see in the New Year with coins or bills inside your shoes.
(8) Wear new clothes in order to acquire a lot of clothes in the coming year.
(9) If you don’t want to be lacking money, put a gold ring in a glass of wine or champagne and make a toast.
(10) If you want to travel next year, put your suitcases (maletas) by the door or walk around the block dragging one of them (hopefully it has wheels).
(11) If you want prosperity, eat a spoonful (cucharada) of cooked lentil beans (lentejas) during the first few minutes of the new year.
(12) If you want to attract money wash your hands with wine and sugar at midnight.
(13) If you want abundance pass out ears of wheat (espigas) to the people with whom you are sharing the evening
(14) To get rid of all of this year’s bad things or evil make a dummy/doll (muñeco) out of you old clothing. Next write on a piece of paper all of the bad things you want to leave in the past. Pin the paper on the doll and burn the whole thing at midnight.
LEGAL TERMS / TERMINOS LEGALES
Adornos – decorations
A person who lends his name – Testaferro
Terraza – a deck
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