In Colombia’s New Year’s Eve custom, carrying an empty suitcase around the block symbolically invites travel.
People who hope to travel in the coming year may walk around the block carrying an empty suitcase shortly after midnight. The ritual turns a wish into a physical action: taking the suitcase outside is meant to attract journeys, holidays, or new opportunities to see the world. It is a playful folk custom rather than an official national ceremony.
Colombian New Year celebrations also include family gatherings, fireworks, special foods, and other luck rituals. Some customs use yellow clothing or underwear, candles, lentils, or the burning of Año Viejo effigies. Practices vary among regions and families, so not every Colombian household performs the suitcase walk.
The suitcase tradition is sometimes reported in other Latin American countries as well. The specifically Colombian association makes “travel” the canonical answer, while “luck” is too general: luck may be the intended result, but the suitcase’s direct symbolism is journeys.