During Spain’s New Year’s Eve countdown, people traditionally eat grapes in 12 bites.
The custom is known as the twelve grapes, or las doce uvas de la suerte. Each grape is associated with one of the coming year’s 12 months, and finishing them with the midnight clock chimes is believed to bring good fortune.
The tradition became especially established in Spain during the early 20th century. A widely repeated account links its popularization to grape growers who promoted surplus grapes around 1909, although the practice had already appeared in Madrid by the late 19th century. The exact origin is therefore often simplified in popular explanations.
The grapes are commonly eaten while people watch the clock at Madrid’s Puerta del Sol, whose chimes are broadcast nationally. They are not the same custom as eating 12 different foods: the traditional item is 12 grapes, often sold in prepared packs for easier timing.