Crowds in Madrid traditionally eat twelve grapes at midnight on New Year's Eve at Puerta del Sol.
The square is famous for the clock on the Real Casa de Correos, whose midnight chimes mark the beginning of the new year. People try to eat one grape with each of the twelve chimes. The grapes are associated with good fortune for the twelve months ahead, and the custom is widely known in Spain as las doce uvas de la suerte, or the twelve lucky grapes.
Television broadcasts from Puerta del Sol allow people throughout Spain and in Spanish-speaking communities elsewhere to follow the clock. The square becomes especially crowded, so many people celebrate at home while watching the ceremony live.
The grape tradition is separate from Madrid's landmark itself: similar countdowns occur across Spain. A common mistake is to identify the location as Plaza Mayor, another famous Madrid square; the nationally televised clock is at Puerta del Sol.