What is the name of the 12-grape New Year’s Eve tradition followed at midnight in Spain?

Spain’s 12-grape New Year’s Eve tradition is called Las doce uvas de la suerte.

Las doce uvas de la suerte means “the twelve grapes of luck.” At midnight, people try to eat one grape with each of the clock’s twelve chimes. Each grape represents a month of the coming year, and successfully eating all twelve is associated with good fortune. Families and public gatherings often follow the chimes broadcast from Madrid’s Puerta del Sol.

The custom became widely established in Spain during the early 20th century. Popular explanations connect its spread with grape growers promoting a surplus harvest in the early 1900s, although the exact origin story is debated. It is not the same as Spain’s Christmas lottery, El Gordo, and the grapes are eaten at New Year rather than on Christmas Day. The practice has also influenced New Year customs in parts of Latin America.