12 months passed, lived, worked, enjoyed and with days of gray nuances, anguish and sadness. This 2021 has passed as fast as if the other day were starting the year.
It was not characterized by being easy, on the contrary, we witnessed hard times with the reappearance of the pandemic, periods in which for weeks we knew of friends, family or acquaintances positive to Covid-19 and of others who also regretted their departure.
The bad news is that we continue to live with the virus and its new variants, now Ómicron with a high contagion power, but the good news, in the case of Cuba, is the existence and development of its own vaccines, which, thanks to their authors, They enable Cubans and countries in our geographic area to be protected from the virus, although it is still vital to take care of oneself, use the nasobuco, avoid large crowds and take extreme measures of hygiene.
You have to put the batteries on December 31 to put together a very large doll, put enough stuffing in it, and together ask that, with its burning, one of our customs at the end of the year, everything bad goes away, and if it were the Covid -19, even better.
We must give the Covid doll hard this year so that we do not witness the next few months loaded with so much anguish and stress, we need good energy, leave all the negative behind.
We are going to stand out this year with creativity so that the doll takes effect, and above all, the buckets of water to throw off the balcony or the roof, help us to get rid of everything we do not like, make us uncomfortable, everything bad that we no longer want in our lives.
So, together, let’s see if for each CDR, of so many giants or small pieces of rags and scraps that we make, we are able to make SARS-CoV-2 leave us alone and leave our lives definitively.
The night of this 31 is a time to spend peacefully with the family, eat the popular yucca, accompanied by congrí, and protein, well, the doll must also be asked to lower the price of pork. There is also dance music to liven up the moment and a cold beer.
We will spend the expected New Year as Cubans always do, as a family, with neighbors, celebrating the day from dawn until the first day.
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Our fundamental tradition is happiness, love for each other, acts of good faith, sharing, because that is how we Cubans are and our way distinguishes us throughout the world.
The 31st in Cuba is characterized by dinner and family party, with Creole food, listening to the Van Van, or salsa in general, by the burning of the doll, the bucket of water that is thrown, going around the block with a suitcase in hand so that in the next year they come trips.
We are used to this, and it seems more normal than normal, however, each country has its traditions, for example, in Japan its ritual is characterized by the ringing of bells, in Denmark dishes are thrown at the doors of beings dear ones, which is a symbol of love and good omens.
The Chinese celebrate their new year by painting the front door red. In Italy it is customary to eat a lot of lentils and not grapes, because these grains mean wealth.
In Brazil, Italy and Chile it is also customary to wear red lingerie that night to achieve great happiness in love in the coming year.
Each country celebrates its old and new year in a different way due to its idiosyncrasy and culture, however, this year we all have a common point of taking care of Covid-19, as it was in 2020, to avoid contagions and that after the celebrations are unleashed worrying chains of positive cases.
