Raúl: A Cuban New Year's Eve and Day is celebrated just like they are in the U.S. 

Glenn: Only New Year's Eve is more of a dance party than a feast like Christmas.

Jorge: The children spend the days leading up to New Year's Eve building and dressing the "Año Viejo." This is a type of scarecrow -- dressed up in old clothes and stuffed with paper, magazines and anything else that will burn.

Raúl: These sit on the front porches of the houses throughout the day waiting to be burned at midnight.

Glenn: The Año Viejo doll represents of all the bad things that happened during the past year. By burning the doll, you are destroying these bad things of the past and welcoming the fresh start of the new year.

Jorge: At midnight, it's customary to eat twelve grapes (one for each month) and drink cider.

Glenn: You're supposed to eat one grape with each stroke of the clock chime, so you have to eat them pretty fast!

Glenn: Don't forget the fireworks.

Jorge: Yes, you can buy fireworks all over Miami during the weeks of Christmas and New Year's. Bottle rockets, firecrackers and every firework (the noisier the better) imaginable is shot off at midnight.

Glenn: Many people wait until the Año Viejo doll is ablaze before setting off the fireworks. It's quite a sight with dolls burning, fireworks exploding, and everyone shouting "¡Próspero Año Nuevo!" (Happy New Year).

Raúl: We also have a tradition of taking a bucket of water, running out to the street and dumping it. That's very typical.

Jorge: The symbolism is throwing out the dirty water accumulated over the past year and starting fresh and clean.

Glenn: Yes, and the water comes in real handy if one of your fireworks lands in the neighbor's garbage can!