The annual New Year's Eve ball-drop ceremony at Puerta del Sol takes place in Madrid.
Puerta del Sol is a major public square in central Madrid and the traditional focus of Spain's televised New Year's Eve countdown. A clock on the former Royal Post Office building provides the midnight chimes that guide the twelve-grape custom. Millions of viewers follow the ceremony from homes and public gatherings.
People in the square commonly eat one grape with each of the twelve main strokes. The ritual connects the clock, the coming twelve months, and the hope of good luck. The clock's short warning sounds before the main chimes are important because mistiming them can make the rapid grape-eating challenge even harder.
Puerta del Sol is also known for the statue of the Bear and the Strawberry Tree, a symbol associated with Madrid. The square's New Year's ceremony should not be confused with Madrid's Three Kings celebrations on January 5 and 6.