The New Year's Eve celebration in Spain's Puerta del Sol is called Nochevieja. The Spanish word means “old night” and refers to New Year's Eve itself, especially the midnight celebration on December 31.
Madrid’s Puerta del Sol is famous for its clock, whose midnight chimes are broadcast nationwide. Many people in Spain eat one grape with each of the twelve chimes, a custom associated with good luck for the twelve months ahead.
The square has become a national focal point for the countdown, with crowds gathering beneath the clock and viewers following the chimes on television. The grape custom is related to, but different from, general New Year’s Eve party traditions.
Nochevieja is also used across the Spanish-speaking world, though local celebrations and midnight foods differ by country. The following day, January 1, is Año Nuevo.