In Madrid's Puerta del Sol, which clock's chimes guide Spain's 12-grape New Year's Eve ritual?

The Real Casa de Correos clock guides Spain's 12-grape New Year's Eve ritual in Madrid's Puerta del Sol.

The clock is mounted on the Real Casa de Correos, a historic building on the square that now serves as the seat of the president of the Community of Madrid. Its midnight chimes are broadcast nationally, allowing people throughout Spain to time the eating of one grape with each of the 12 strokes.

The building was constructed in the eighteenth century, and its clock became a landmark for public timekeeping. The New Year's Eve gathering at Puerta del Sol is one of Spain's best-known civic celebrations, with crowds watching the clock and television viewers following the ceremony from home.

The ritual includes a short sequence before the 12 main chimes, traditionally called the cuarto, or quarter chimes. Confusing those preliminary sounds with the grapes can make the timing seem different on broadcasts. The landmark is sometimes called simply the Puerta del Sol clock, but the specific building name is Real Casa de Correos.