feliz ano novo.

Photo: The crew —Brazil in our twenties (yes, believe it or not we were all cresting towards age thirty here 😳)

I love the New Year because it is all about fresh starts.  But, New Year’s celebrations in the United States can sometimes be overrated and a little bit hollow. The good news is that we can make it whatever we want. And tonight, I’m planning to add a little Brazilian tradition to my celebration.

In my late twenties, I was in Brazil over the New Year, invited by our Brazilian friend along with five other friends from Business School. To say the least, in just two weeks we created memories of a lifetime. There are far too many stories to tell from that Brazilian adventure (bender might be a more apt word to use) but to experience the turning over of a New Year in the Brazilian tradition is powerful, beautiful, and one that I will never forget.

In Brazil, New Year's Eve (known as "Réveillon") is celebrated with positivity, vibrance, joy, hope, and reflection that only Brazilians can do best.

There, on the eve of the New Year, jumping over small waves in the sea – SEVEN times while making SEVEN wishes to bring good luck for the coming year –is a Brazilian tradition rooted in Afro-BraziIian religious practices and superstitions. The number seven holds spiritual significance and is associated with positive energy and the granting of wishes.

So, as the tradition dictates, we all dressed in white that night (a tradition that symbolizes peace and renewal) and just before the countdown to the New Year we went out to the ocean, with sparklers in hand, and jumped our jumps and wished our wishes --all while happily getting soaked by the waves, connecting us and our wishes to the forces of nature.

So tonight, while I may not be in Brazil or close enough to the ocean this evening to leap those waves. I will wear white and make 7 jumps and 7 wishes outside under the stars to leave the old behind and welcome the new —a tradition I might just have to adopt for all the coming years.

May your New Year be filled with wishes that come true, joy and laughter too, and add powerful and beautiful memories to your life.