El Año Viejo

New Years Eve is always a big celebration here in Ecuador. It is a time for families to get together, share a meal and bring in the New Year. In some ways it’s the same as in many other countries. However there is one custom that seems to be unique to Ecuador, jumping over the old year (saltando el año Viejo o el monigote).

There are many other customs that accompany the saying goodbye to the old year, like wearing yellow undies into the new year for better relationships or red ones for romance, walking around the block with a suitcase so that you have a year of travelling and the possibilities go on.

And how does one exactly jump over the old year? First, you need to build your old year doll (el año viejo). This takes the form of a Disney character made out of paper mache or it could be that you grab a bunch of old clothes that are no good, you fill them with paper so it looks half human, put a mask on it and then depending on who your with, pour diesel or petrol over it and set it alight. This is met with many cheers as the old year is set alight and then it’s time to start jumping.

As you jump you are saying that you are leaving the old year behind and starting a new year, leaving behind all that was good and all that was bad and looking forward to a year of new resolutions, hopes and dreams.

As you can see from the video, we all had a go at jumping over the old year and celebrating with our neighbours and friends across the road. It was a great time to spend with them and the kids really enjoyed it.

We were reminded the following Sunday as our pastor walked around the front of church with el año viejo, that the Christian life is somewhat similar to jumping over the old year and leaving things behind.
He read from Ephesians 4:22-24 where it says.

You were taught, with regard to your former way of life, to put off your old self, which is being corrupted by its deceitful desires; to be made new in the attitude of your minds; and to put on the new self, created to be like God in true righteousness and holiness.

He dramatised the fact that we continue to drag our old self around with us (you need to imagine him holding a paper filled man on his back) and we just don’t want to let him go. We hang on to our old habits and desires but really when we understand that we are new creatures, now spiritual beings in Christ’s image that need to put off the old self and live in righteousness and holiness.

I know that for me (John) I find it hard to throw off the old self, just as our pastor said, it is hard work, but as he also said, we are not to hang to the old because we love it so much, we need to be changed, we need to be made anew, we need to live in the holiness that Christ has bought for us.

May you be encouraged this year to look to Christ and live life in response to what he has done for us though his death on the cross.

Happy New Year to all our friends and family, may you seek his face in all you do.

Thyme for tea

I've never been overly adventurous with my choice of herbal tea. The fact is I can't really go past peppermint, it tastes so good (perhaps also the fact that I have a plentiful supply of peppermint leaves after my mistakenly large purchase of leaves on Amazon a while back also contributes to my dogged faithfulness to my nightly cuppa). A rooibos or chamomile may get thrown into the mix occasionally if the mood strikes.

On the other hand, lojanos are experts on herbal teas, there is one for every season, every health complaint, every mood.  Just after Christmas I felt like I was coming down with the same cold John and Annalise had been hanging onto for a few weeks, noooooo was my internal complaint after I'd soaked yet another tissue. So I thought as may as well follow my good neighbour's advice and make some thyme tea, perfect for warding off colds I am told. Mix in a bit of honey and voila, say goodbye to that cold. The best thing is, she was pretty much right, I think I avoided the worst of the whole episode and for now I'm happy to attribute it to my thyme tea.

I continued my resolve to branch out in tea choices the other day by accepting a friends offer of fenugreek leaf tea. Despite possible health benefits, that one I'll give a miss in future.

What's your fave herbal tea?