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New Year's Day

New Year’s Day 2024, 2025 and 2026

The New Year in Peru is celebrated with widespread festivities on 31 December in anticipation of the turn of midnight. Then, on 1 January a public holiday is observed across the country.

YearDateDayHoliday
20241 JanMonNew Year's Day
20251 JanWedNew Year's Day
20261 JanThuNew Year's Day
Please scroll down to end of page for previous years' dates.

Peruvian New Year’s traditions are sometimes very different from those of most other nations, although they tend to be similar to some other South American countries but with slight variations and twists added in.

For example, Peru is not the only nation where eating twelve grapes during the countdown to midnight is traditional. But in Peru, it is traditional to each six green grapes and six red ones. It’s optional whether you say the name of each month of the year as each grape is eaten or whether you make 12 wishes.

Wearing yellow underwear is also a traditional luck-bringer in several countries, including Peru. Peru’s New Year good luck traditions also include tossing rice around the house and, in some communities, burning a rag doll at midnight that looks just like themselves. These last two traditions are a bit more uniquely Peruvian.

Previous Years

YearDateDayHoliday
20231 JanSunNew Year's Day
20221 JanSatNew Year's Day
20211 JanFriNew Year's Day
20201 JanWedNew Year's Day
20191 JanTueNew Year's Day
20181 JanMonNew Year's Day
20171 JanSunNew Year's Day