The famous Puerta del Sol New Year's Eve clock tradition takes place in Madrid, Spain.
At midnight, people in Spain traditionally eat twelve grapes, one with each stroke of the clock at Puerta del Sol. The twelve grapes represent the twelve months of the coming year, and successfully eating them before the final chime is popularly associated with good fortune.
The clock tower is part of the Real Casa de Correos, a historic building whose clock became a national focal point through radio and television broadcasts. Large crowds gather in the square, while many others watch the chimes from home and follow the ritual with grapes prepared in advance.
The custom is often linked to a surplus grape harvest in the early twentieth century, although historians also note earlier elite grape-eating traditions. The broadcast is nationally important, but the practice is not limited to people physically standing in Puerta del Sol: households throughout Spain follow the same twelve chimes.