How many grapes are traditionally eaten during Spain's New Year's Eve countdown?

Spain’s New Year’s Eve tradition calls for eating twelve grapes during the midnight countdown.

Known in Spanish as las doce uvas de la suerte, or “the twelve grapes of luck,” the custom pairs one grape with each stroke of the clock at midnight. Completing the sequence is traditionally associated with good fortune in the twelve months of the coming year. Families and friends often prepare peeled or seedless grapes to make the fast-paced ritual easier.

The custom became widely established in Spain in the early twentieth century. A frequently cited story links its popularity to a large grape surplus in 1909, when growers promoted grapes as a festive New Year product. The exact origin is more complicated, because earlier evidence shows the practice or similar grape customs already existed.

The twelve grapes are not the same as twelve separate wishes in every version of the tradition. The essential feature is the number twelve and the timing with the midnight chimes. The custom has also spread to Spanish-speaking communities in other countries.