The tradition is to make a puppet, which represents the bad things of the year ending. This puppet, the old year, has a widow who desperately cries as the time comes for her "viejo" to die. The widow is a man dressed in black. She begs for spare change, because in the New Year she is going to be without a husband to economically support her. If one hopes to find a love in the New Year, one has to wear yellow underwear. Before burning the old year, we read the "will." Jokes are made about politicians, or members of the family, etc. The will consists of all those things that the old year wants to be changed for better, either in the family, country or job. At the very moment the New Year begins, we have to run around the block (or the ship) with a suitcase, if we want to travel in the New Year. We also have to eat 12 grapes, make a toast, and burn the old year. It is hard to manage to do it all at the same time!
On board the Polaris we had a wonderful party. There were 4 puppets, 2 widows, lots of games, dancing contests, everything. The best thing is that we shared all together as a family: the crew, the officers and our guests. We partied until the early morning, had "ceviche," and begun a New Millennium anchored in the Galapagos Islands, an enchanted place on earth.
Happy New Year!
