What is the name of the midnight New Year's Eve event at Madrid's Puerta del Sol clock?
Answer
Las campanadas
The midnight New Year’s Eve event at Madrid’s Puerta del Sol clock is known as Las campanadas.
The Spanish phrase means “the chimes” and refers to the twelve clock strikes at midnight on December 31. People in Madrid gather at Puerta del Sol, while television viewers across Spain watch the clock and eat one grape with each chime. The ritual is closely connected to Spain’s twelve-grapes tradition.
The clock’s famous mechanism is mounted on the Real Casa de Correos, the historic building facing the square. Its midnight chimes have been broadcast nationally for decades, making the square a central symbol of Spanish New Year’s Eve.
Las campanadas should not be confused with La Tomatina, the tomato-throwing festival in Buñol, or El Encierro, the running of the bulls in Pamplona. Those are separate Spanish events with different dates and customs.