During Colombia’s New Year’s Eve suitcase tradition, people carry an empty suitcase around the block for luck in travel.
The custom is called salir con la maleta, meaning to go out with the suitcase. Shortly after midnight, or sometimes just before it, participants walk around the block carrying luggage. The journey is a symbolic invitation to travel more during the coming year.
The suitcase is usually empty because it represents the trips and adventures yet to come rather than a specific destination. Families may combine the ritual with other Colombian New Year practices, including eating lentils for prosperity, placing potatoes under a chair for fortune, or wearing yellow clothing.
This is a folk custom rather than a formal national ceremony, so its timing and exact form vary. The important identifying detail is the short walk with luggage around the block, not an actual departure for an airport or train station.