Spanish New Year's tradition

First of all, I’d like to wish everyone a Happy New Year!

Let’s stay a bit more time in this magic time and let’s talk about Spanish New Year’s tradition, which is… eating grapes.  When I ask my Spanish friends what they did for New Year’s eve, they usually say they ate dinner, they drank wine and they ate 12 grapes - all of them during the last minute of the old year: one grape for every clock tick. It seems tough, but let’s notice that they've been practicing it every year all their lives so they've definitely got into practice 😉

Why do Spanish people swallow grapes and what’s the origin of this tradition? Let’s investigate!

Apparently, there are two theories about the origins of this tradition.

The first theory dates back to 1880s, when the Spanish bourgeois class, imitating the French, started to celebrate New Year's Eve by eating grapes and drinking sparkling wine. Later the custom was adopted by ordinary people celebrating in the Puerta del Sol square in Madrid. As they heard the midnight bells they started mocking the upper class eating grapes.

According to the second theory, because of surplus harvest of white grapes in 1909 in the south of Spain, the price was low. However, the producers found a creative and catchy way to sell the fruit. Since that time grapes are considered as a fruit of good luck.

Now, eating 12 grapes at midnight of the New Year’s eve is a must if you want to have a happy year. 

It is a tradition that began in Spain and was adopted by several Latin American countries, such as Argentina, Mexico, Venezuela, Ecuador, Peru, Chile and Colombia.

If you find this tradition worth following, write it in the comments 😊

Sources:

https://www.bbc.com/mundo/noticias-america-latina-38374437

https://www.clarin.com/gourmet/que-significa-comer-12-uvas-en-ano-nuevo_0_f8VoQK52Z.html