December 30, 2012
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An Unusual Brazilian New Year Tradition
Can you believe Brazilian women welcome the New Year by wearing colorful underwear? They usually wear red, yellow or other brightly colored under-wear past midnight to catch good fortune for the coming year.Red means an amorous love life ahead.
White, which most Brazilians wear, particularly in Rio, represents harmony, peace and overall good luck.
Silver means new things.
Green indicates hope.
Yellow or gold underwear means money or wealth and with millions of people worried about the fallout from the credit crunch, they are flying off the shelves.
“People are desperate, they want to not lose their jobs and have some money in their pockets,” said Denise Areal, marketing director for Duloren, one of Brazil’s biggest underwear producers. “We’ve sold out 100,000 pairs and we don’t have time to make any more.
The tradition is believed to be rooted in Candombe (Afro-Brazilian) religious beliefs that colors attract energy.
