New Year’s Eve Underwear Traditions

The holiday season is often full of traditions. From cultural to familial, watching a ball drop to your grandma’s cookie recipe, we all find ourselves falling into the comforts of tradition. For instance, many of us will end up making a New Year’s resolution by the 31st, which we may (or may not) remember come June.

Best of all, underwear plays a part in multiple New Year’s traditions celebrated around the world. In countries from Brazil to Spain, and Italy to China, the underwear you have on during New Year’s Eve may just determine your fate in the new year. Traditions involving underwear include wearing a specific color, the actual way you wear them, how you receive them and more. So if you want to find love with an Argentinian or increase your chances of having a child in Puerto Rico, be mindful of your underwear this New Year’s Eve. Watch our video below on New Year’s Eve underwear traditions:

For more information on the items featured in this video, head to our Curated Underwear Club, and check out the many traditions mentioned in the video below:

1. Puerto Rico

In Puerto Rico, wearing white underwear is believed to aid in fertility and a year of good health.

2. Spain

Wearing red underwear on New Year’s Eve in Spain dates back several hundred years where it was seen as a symbol of life. It is also common to eat a grape with every chime of the bell at midnight for a year of prosperity.

3. Peru

In Peru, green underwear will bring you positive energy in the new year, especially if you wear it inside out, and change it back at midnight.

4. Philippines

Wearing anything polka dotted in the Philippines will work, as the roundness symbolizes prosperity, so why not start from the inside out!

5. Argentina

Looking for love? Argentinians dressed in pink skivvies hope the color will spice up their romances for the year to come.

6. Colombia

In Colombia, yellow underwear is worn to ensure a year of happiness and good fortune.

7. Chile

Also, in Chile, yellow underwear is worn to ensure a year of happiness and good fortune.

8. Ecuador

In Ecuador, yellow underwear is– um– well– In most Latin America countries, yellow underwear is worn to ensure a year of happiness and good fortune. This also may be a good time to note that, similar to Spain, red underwear is also worn in many Latin American countries.

9. China

In China, red underwear with golden embroidery is seen as a way to fight off bad luck for the new year. This holds especially true when it is your ‘benming nian’ or the year of your animal, so any born in the year of the monkey better stock up by February!

10. Bolivia

Bolivians looking to keep friendships going strong wear pink underwear on NYE. To double their luck, they also wear the underwear backwards!

11. Portugal

If you are looking for tranquility in Portugal, many people will sport blue undies under their New Years best.

12. Brazil

In Brazil, sporting orange knickers will potentially provide a year professional success. Bright underwear is usually also paired with an outfit of all white.

13. Italy

Want some ‘allegra’ in the new year? Italians fashion themselves in luxurious red underwear for a year of cheer. Extra cheer ensues from red underwear received as a gift the day before.

14. Black Underwear

Though it is not tied down to one nation, most countries believe wearing black underwear on New Years Eve will bring misfortune unto the New Year, so steer clear!

Filmed By: Jerrad Matthew Exclusively for The Underwear Expert
Written By: Daniel Addice
Model: Jared North