We’re just six days away from the Miami Hurricanes chasing a championship at Hard Rock Stadium.
The Canes will take on the Indiana Hoosiers—and if Miami comes out victorious, you can expect the streets of South Florida to erupt with the unmistakable clanging of pots and pans.
In Miami, the sound of banging pots and pans is synonymous with victory. Whenever a South Florida sports team wins big, Bird Road fills with people celebrating in this unique way.
A local historian tells CBS News Miami that this tradition actually dates back more than a century. It’s the familiar sound of success in South Florida.
On Thursday night, University of Miami fans spontaneously celebrated the team clinching a spot in the national championship game outside La Carreta on Bird Road.
Dr. Paul George, a historian at HistoryMiami Museum, has studied the roots of this tradition:
“People would assemble makeshift floats and parade down what is now NW Second Avenue, then along Flagler Street in downtown Miami, banging pots and pans along the way,” Dr. George explained.
The Cuban community, in particular, has embraced using kitchen tools as instruments, echoing the rhythms heard back home. The tradition was especially prominent on Southwest Eighth Street in the hours after Fidel Castro’s death in 2016.
“Pots and pans became a big element of their observances. It could be for protests, celebrations, or remembrances,” said Dr. George.
He notes that, over the years, pots and pans have been used by everyday people to feel included in parades and celebrations—especially after victories by teams like the Miami Heat, Florida Panthers, and now, the Miami Hurricanes.
“I think a lot of people think, ‘I don’t have a drum, but I can use pots and pans to make my presence felt,'” Dr. George said.
Like many in Miami, George is hoping to hear those familiar sounds ringing through the city come Monday night after the national championship game.
