The twelve grapes are the traditional Spanish New Year’s Eve food eaten one at a time with the twelve midnight chimes.
Known in Spanish as las doce uvas de la suerte, or “the twelve grapes of luck,” the custom links each grape with one month of the coming year. Successfully eating all twelve before the chimes finish is popularly associated with good fortune.
The practice is especially visible in Madrid, where many people follow the clock at Puerta del Sol. The televised chimes from the square also help make the ritual a shared national event, even for people celebrating at home. Participants often prepare small portions in advance because the chimes arrive quickly.
The grapes are not twelve different foods or a symbolic substitute for each month’s harvest. They are twelve grapes, and the number comes from the twelve chimes and twelve months. Similar grape-eating customs have also spread to Spanish-speaking communities beyond Spain.