Happy New Year from Welcome Merchant, we hope 2024 is treating you well so far. When it comes to New Year’s, celebrations and resolutions come to mind. Everyone has their way of ringing in the New Year along with their unique traditions.
Welcome Merchant had the pleasure of speaking to cook and caterer Verena from Donde Mama who shared with us ways she celebrates New Year’s. Verena has been living in Australia for 8 years with her two daughters who help her run Donde Mama. Through Free to Feed she gained vital experience in cooking which then led her to completing her Certificate III in commercial cookery through Box Hill Institute in Melbourne. “I never thought I would live in a country like Australia let alone speak English” says Verena.
Colombian New Year’s Traditions
New Year’s is a time for celebration and what better way to celebrate than with friends and family? In Colombian culture that is the heart and one of the reasons to look forward to the new year. Verena believes no one from her family or friends can be missing when it comes time to celebrate as life is uncertain. Once all her loved ones are present there is no better way to celebrate than an abundance of food. “There is no time for diets in her household,” says Verena.
The dishes on offer from her hometown consist of pasteles which are called tamales in other parts of Colombia. The idea behind making pasteles is to have the whole family contribute to creating the dish. They are made with plantain leaves which hold the other ingredients when it’s set to cook and boil for two hours. The filling consists of rice with condiments, all spices, vinegar, garlic, vegetables from cabbage, eggplants and onions, olives, capers chickpeas, and beans with chicken and pork. This dish is made on the 30th or 31st of December to then feast on New Year’s Day. The other dishes on offer at the feast include coconut rice, potato salad, turkey, pork leg, salads, and pineapple cake.
In Colombian culture, there are many unique traditions followed by communities to bring in the New Year. Following the above food traditions others include putting lentils in your pockets along with drinking sparkling champagne. Another one is to eat 12 grapes for each chime when the clock strikes twelve. In Verena’s family, a common custom is to have canela and vanilla essence rubbed between your hands to bring good fortunes for the new year.
New Year’s Memories
Verena recalls a song sung among her family members on New Year’s Eve called ‘Cinco Pa las Doce’. Once the song is sung, it means the New Year has begun.
New Year’s Resolution
A New Year means people look forward to completing or starting potential endeavours to complete in the new year. Verena’s New Year’s resolution is to start a food truck to meet new people and share her cuisine and culture. She hopes to one day open a restaurant with the help of her daughters or even a café.
Priyantha Joseph and Akira Grateful
We also got to talk about New Year’s traditions with Priyantha Joseph the founder of skincare line Akira Grateful. Priyantha is a former refugee from Sri Lanka who arrived in Australia at the age of 13 in 1986. He started a packing business in 2003 in the beauty industry which led him to create Akira Grateful. His skincare line venture is to give back to the community which he started in 2020.
New Year’s celebration
Priyantha’s New Year’s Eve consists of a small gathering with loved ones and a visit to his parent’s home in the New Year. Growing up in Sri Lanka he recalls celebrating with friends and family which consisted of food, religious activities, and fireworks. Priyantha states he doesn’t follow a lot of New Year’s traditions since moving to Melbourne however, growing up in a Tamil household he recalls his family having traditional meals, visiting the church, and extended families to welcome the new year.
New Year’s Resolution
Priyantha hopes to keep striving after his personal and professional goals while incorporating travel into his life more in 2024.
The new year is upon us, and we cannot wait to see what this year has in store.
We hope everyone has a wonderful year filled with love, gratitude and well wishes. Please visit our featured merchants Donde Mama and Akira Grateful for your catering and skincare needs.
Fireworks photo by Andreas Rasmussen for Unsplash