In Spain, people traditionally eat 12 grapes at midnight on New Year's Eve for good luck.
The custom is known as las doce uvas de la suerte, or “the 12 grapes of luck.” Each grape is eaten with one stroke of the clock at midnight, and the 12 grapes are commonly associated with the 12 months of the coming year. Finishing them in time is treated as a cheerful test of timing.
The tradition became widely popular in the early 20th century. A frequently repeated origin story links it to a surplus grape harvest in 1909, although earlier references show that the custom was already developing in Madrid. The televised clock chimes from Madrid's Puerta del Sol help make the ritual a national event.
The grapes are sometimes confused with the 12 round fruits used in Filipino New Year's customs, but the Spanish ritual specifically uses grapes.