Can grapes bring luck? The Spanish believe it, and at midnight on New Year’s Eve, across the country, it’s a race to gobble up 12 grapes before the first minute of the year passes.
The 12 grapes, which represent the months of the year, must be eaten one by one before the clock moves to 12:01 p.m. If the grapes are eaten, tradition dictates that luck will be on your side all year round.
Where does the tradition of eating 12 grapes come from?
The origins of “uvas de la suerte” tradition are difficult to trace. The idea could have originated among winegrowers in Alicante, Spain, to sell off a surplus in the early 1900s, Atlas Obscura reported. Grapes are a reasonably priced crop that tends to do well, and there are often surpluses so that the fruit can be imported more cheaply.
Or could the Madrid bourgeoisie have copied the French tradition of tasting grapes and champagne on the last day of the year, NPR reported. But the story goes that the people of Madrid wanted to rebel against class distinctions and decided to make fun of the aristocrats by going to Puerta del Sol to eat grapes to the sound of bells.
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Whatever the beginnings, the tradition has spread like wildfire in Spain. Supermarket chains such as Mercadona and Super Sol advertise and sell “uvas de la suerte” throughout Spain.
Mercadona, one of the largest grocery chains in Spain, has offered four ways to buy grapes for the occasion. Natural grape clusters with seeds from Alicante add “an element of pleasure to the tradition of the 12 grapes”. The seeds provide a “crispy touch” the supermarket said. Consumers can also purchase seedless grapes or prepackaged grapes “specially selected and packaged with the exact amount needed for each chime.”
Prepackaged grapes allow partygoers to open the grapes at the precise moment the clock changes and not worry about counting or peeling the grapes amid the excitement of the celebration.
Grapes can also be brought peeled and pitted in cans. These grapes are among the most popular among Spaniards due to their convenience, the supermarket said.
What are the exact rules of the New Year’s grape tradition?
Regardless of how the grapes are purchased, eat them at midnight on Nochevieja is the key to the party in Spain. Celebrants must eat the grapes before the clock strikes 12:01 a.m., and if they are consumed in full, tradition dictates that good luck will be on your side all year long.
Spaniards usually choose green grapes for this tradition.
Where did the idea of eating grapes under the table come from?
Eating grapes under a table is not part of the original Spanish tradition, but could be a 21st century novelty that is spreading on social media. TikTok users posted on social media and said they were eating 12 grapes – red or green – under a table, in the hope that singles who eat the grapes under a table on New Year’s Day will fall soon to be in love.
User @annadstoddard posted that after eating grapes under a table she was lucky in love. The footage shows her putting a twisted napkin ring on what appears to be her partner’s finger.
TikTok user @helenguillen – now @helengmorales – posted in 2022 that she ate grapes under the table on New Year’s Eve and subsequently got engaged. In the video, she shows her engagement ring.