In Colombia’s New Year’s Eve custom, people traditionally carry an empty suitcase to attract travel in the coming year.
The suitcase ritual is a form of sympathetic symbolism: taking luggage around the block or outside the home is meant to encourage journeys, vacations, or new experiences during the year ahead. The suitcase is commonly empty because it represents the opportunity to travel rather than a trip already completed.
The practice is one of several Colombian New Year customs based on objects and actions that symbolize hopes for the future. Other traditions may involve eating grapes, wearing particular colors, or handling lentils and money to invite prosperity, depending on family and region.
Descriptions of the suitcase custom vary: some people walk around the block at midnight, while others simply step outside carrying luggage. These variations do not change the central identifying object, which is the empty suitcase.