Let Go to Let In
In Ecuador, the air crackles with anticipation as midnight approaches on New Year’s Eve. Families gather to set aflame carefully crafted effigies—año viejo, or “old year”—symbolizing the challenges, mistakes, and regrets of the past 12 months. These effigies, often made from old clothes and stuffed with sawdust or paper, represent everything from personal missteps to broader societal issues.
As the effigies burn, their bright flames and curling smoke carry away the weight of the year, making way for a fresh start. This ritual is more than a simple farewell; it’s an intentional act of release—a declaration that the past no longer holds power over what’s to come.
In that fire lies a lesson for us all: letting go doesn’t erase the past, but it does free us to step into the future with open hands and a lighter heart.
Feel the Burn
Letting go isn’t always a quiet or painless process. Like the crackling flames of an año viejo, it can demand that we confront the weight of what we’ve carried—whether it’s the sting of regret, the shadow of unmet expectations, or the clutter of unresolved emotions.
In Denmark, they take this concept literally, smashing plates against the doors of loved ones as a cathartic release. It’s messy, loud, and a little chaotic, but it’s also a reminder: healing requires facing the shards of what’s broken.
To truly let go, we must feel the burn—acknowledge the pain, frustration, or disappointment—and allow the heat of those emotions to purify us. Only then can we move forward, unburdened and renewed.
Burn Bright
Once the flames have done their work, what remains is clarity. In Japan, temple bells ring 108 times at the stroke of midnight, each chime marking the release of a human vice—greed, envy, anger—making space for virtues like compassion, kindness, and gratitude.
Similarly, in Brazil, celebrants leap over seven waves at midnight, each jump a symbolic step into a brighter, bolder year. They leave behind fear and hesitation, trusting the ocean to carry their wishes to the horizon.
Your Turn
Rituals that close one chapter and welcome the next with open hearts and bold intentions. But what we often forget is this: you are living, breathing, walking culture. That’s right—you are a culture.
So, what is your tradition?
What will you do to let go of the old and let in the new?
Will you let the past burn away, releasing what no longer serves you?
Will you feel the burn of transformation, facing the discomfort that comes with change? And most importantly, will you burn bright—stepping boldly into the new year with clarity, hope, and purpose?
The choice is yours. Let go to let in.