Why eat 12 grapes for New Year’s? Here’s what to know about the good-luck tradition.
Can grapes bring you good luck? The Spaniards believe this and at midnight on New Year’s Eve there is a competition across the country to swallow 12 grapes before the first minute of the New Year passes.
The 12 grapes represent the months of the year and need to be eaten one by one before the clock turns 12:01. If you eat grapes, tradition says good luck will follow you throughout the year.
Where did the tradition of eating 12 grapes come from?
The origin of “lucky grapes” Tradition Very difficult to track. The idea probably started with grape growers in Alicante, Spain, In an effort to offload excess production from the early 1900s, According to “Atlas Obscura”. Grapes are an affordable crop that tend to perform well and there are often surpluses, so the fruit can be purchased cheaply.
Or maybe the Madrid bourgeoisie followed the French tradition of eating grapes and champagne on the last day of the year, NPR reports. But it is said that in order to rebel against class distinctions, Madrid residents decided to mock the nobility by going to the Puerta del Sol and eating grapes while listening to the bells.
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Whatever the origin, this tradition has spread like wildfire in Spain. Supermarket chains such as Mercadona and Super Sol promote and sell “uvas de la suerte” across Spain.
Mercadona, one of Spain’s largest grocery chains, advertises four ways to buy grapes for the occasion. Natural grape clusters with seeds from Alicante add to the “tradition of the 12 grapes”. The seeds provide a “crunchy feel,” Supermarket says. Consumers can also purchase grapes without seeds, or grapes that are “specially selected and packaged in the quantities required per bell.”
Prepackaged grapes allow revelers to open the grapes at the precise moment the clock changes without having to worry about counting the grapes or peeling them in the excitement of the festivities.
Grapes can also be canned by peeling and pitting them. Supermarkets say these grapes are most popular among Spaniards due to their convenience.
What are the specific rules for the New Year grape tradition?
No matter how the grapes are bought, they are eaten in the middle of the night Nochevieja is the key to celebration in Spain. Celebrants need to eat the grapes before the clock strikes 12:01 a.m. If they do, tradition holds that good luck will follow you throughout the year.
Spaniards often choose green grapes to fulfill this tradition.
Where did the idea of eating grapes under the table come from?
Eating grapes under the table is not part of the original Spanish tradition, but may be a 21st century twist spread on social media. TikTok users are posting on social media that they are eating 12 grapes, whether red or green, under the table in the hope that singles who eat grapes under the table in the New Year will quickly fall in love.
User @annadstoddard Posted that she ate grapes under the table She is lucky in love. The video shows her placing a twisted napkin ring on her partner’s finger.
TikTok user @helenguillen (now @helengmorales) posted in 2022 that she got engaged after eating grapes under the table on New Year’s Eve. exist video, She showed off her engagement ring.
