Madrid's Puerta del Sol is the Spanish square famous for the New Year's Eve clock and twelve-grape tradition.
At midnight, people try to eat one grape with each of the clock's twelve chimes. The twelve grapes represent the twelve months of the coming year, and successfully eating them is traditionally associated with good fortune. The celebration is broadcast throughout Spain from the square's clock.
The custom became especially popular in the early twentieth century. One widely repeated explanation connects its spread with a surplus grape harvest, although the practice also developed from earlier urban festive customs. It is now observed in homes and public gatherings across Spain.
Puerta del Sol is more than a celebration site: it is a major Madrid landmark and the location of Spain's symbolic Kilometer Zero. The clock's chimes, rather than the square alone, are central to the national countdown.