The Twelve Grapes () is a Spanish tradition that consists of eating a
grape
A grape is a fruit, botanically a berry, of the deciduous woody vines of the flowering plant genus ''Vitis''. Grapes are a non- climacteric type of fruit, generally occurring in clusters.
The cultivation of grapes began approximately 8,0 ...
with each of the twelve
clock bell strikes at midnight of 31 December to welcome the New Year. Each grape and clock bell strike represents each of the coming twelve months.
This tradition dates back from at least 1895, but was greatly popularized in 1909. In December of that year, some
Alicantese vine growers spread this custom to encourage grape sales due to overproduction during an excellent harvest. According to the tradition, eating the Twelve Grapes leads to a year of good luck and prosperity.
In some areas, this practice was also believed to ward off witches and evil in general,
although today it is mostly followed as a tradition to celebrate and welcome the New Year.
There are two types of places where people gather to eat the grapes: at home with family members after ''
Nochevieja'' dinner, or in the main squares around the country, with the most famous being the
Puerta del Sol
The Puerta del Sol (, English: "Gate of the Sun") is a public square in Madrid, one of the best known and busiest places in the city. This is the centre ('' Km 0'') of the radial network of Spanish roads. The square also contains the famous ...
in
Madrid
Madrid ( ; ) is the capital and List of largest cities in Spain, most populous municipality of Spain. It has almost 3.5 million inhabitants and a Madrid metropolitan area, metropolitan area population of approximately 7 million. It i ...
(and where this tradition started). The Twelve Grapes are closely related to the
time ball
A time ball or timeball is a time-signalling device. It consists of a large, painted wooden or metal ball that is dropped at a predetermined time, principally to enable navigators aboard ships offshore to verify the setting of their marine chron ...
and clock of the
Royal House of the Post Office in Puerta del Sol, from where the change of year is broadcast on all major national television networks and radio stations, with television broadcasting beginning in 1962 on
Televisión Española
(acronym TVE, branded tve, "Spanish Television") is Spain's national state-owned public television broadcaster and the oldest regular television service in the country. It was also the first regular television service in Equatorial Guinea.
T ...
.
Other countries
The Twelve Grapes have also been adopted in places with a broad cultural relation with Spain, such as the Philippines, Latin American and Caribbean countries, as well as Hispanic communities in countries such as the United States.
This tradition is part of the Hispanic
Christmas
Christmas is an annual festival commemorating Nativity of Jesus, the birth of Jesus Christ, observed primarily on December 25 as a Religion, religious and Culture, cultural celebration among billions of people Observance of Christmas by coun ...
festivities. It is also done by some
Jamaican locals.
Observed in the following:
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References
External links
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{{New Year
New Year celebrations
Spanish traditions
Viticulture