Why Do Spanish People Eat 12 Grapes at Midnight on New Year’s Eve

One of the most particular traditions in view of New Year's Eve comes from Spain (and by extension from all Latin peoples): at the stroke of midnight, twelve grapes are eaten following the rhythm of the twelve tolls of the bell that mark the passage from the old year to the new one. The tradition is very popular during the nochevieja, the last day of the year, and has become famous throughout the world thanks also to Sofia Vergara, the very famous Colombian actress, who talks about it in an episode of Modern Family, the TV series that made her famous. Let's see in detail what it is and also discover a bad habit that has emerged in recent years.

The Nochevieja on The Chimes of Madrid

The twelve grains must be eaten one after the other following the chimes of the clock on top of Puerta del Sol in Madrid: all of Spain coordinates thanks to the live television broadcasts at the end of the year. By the last chime, the last grain must be swallowed: only in this way will the "magic" ritual take effect and one will be able to enjoy a year of wealth and prosperity.

The history of this tradition is not well known but there are several, imaginative, theories. The most famous takes us to 1909 in the lands of some lazy winemakers: according to this story the farmers would have spread this rumor to reduce the quantity of grapes and, consequently, the effort required to harvest them. Another theory takes us to the 19th century, in Madrid, and sees this custom as a gesture of protest with a strong political imprint against the treatment of the ruling class towards the farmers.

Both theories are false but have a grain of truth: the Spanish introduced grapes among the traditional foods of the Christmas period after the Napoleonic period because in France they organized private parties where champagne was drunk and grapes were eaten as an accompaniment. The second was born from a protest that actually took place but was limited to the municipality of Madrid: the city council banned street parties on the "Night of the Three Kings", on Epiphany, and in protest a group of Madrileños placed themselves in the center of the Puerta del Sol and ate grapes at midnight between January 5 and 6. Journalists of the time gave great prominence to the thing that was repeated year after year, maintaining the burlesque purpose. What we do not know is how the tradition moved from Epiphany to New Year's Eve, but this will forever remain a secret.