What do many Colombians traditionally carry around the block at midnight on New Year's Eve?

Many Colombians traditionally carry empty suitcases around the block at midnight on New Year's Eve.

The suitcase ritual symbolizes a wish for travel and adventure during the coming year. People may walk around the block with an empty suitcase, sometimes circling their home or neighborhood immediately after midnight. The custom is especially recognizable as a playful New Year's resolution expressed through action.

New Year's celebrations in Colombia also include family meals, music, fireworks, and regional customs involving symbolic figures. Some households burn an año viejo, or “old year,” effigy representing the troubles and events of the departing year. Practices vary widely between cities and families.

The suitcases are not packed because the ritual is meant to represent future journeys rather than a specific trip. It is therefore different from ordinary travel preparation. Similar symbolic customs appear elsewhere in Latin America, but Colombia's midnight walk with luggage is particularly associated with hopes for travel in the new year.