Overview
- The custom calls for eating 12 grapes with the clock’s chimes at midnight, each grape symbolizing luck for a month of the coming year, with many now simply finishing before 12:01 am.
- The practice began in late–19th century Spain and spread widely after Alicante grape growers promoted it in the early 1900s to move surplus harvests.
- A TikTok-fueled variation that encourages eating the grapes under a table has gained traction but is not part of the original Spanish ritual.
- Commercial offerings now include Spain’s peeled and pitted “12 lucky grapes” tins and UK supermarket packs, with Tesco selling £1.25 packets of 12 Spanish grapes.
- The ritual is broadcast nationally from Madrid’s Puerta del Sol and is widely observed across Latin America, notably Mexico, where supermarkets ramp up grape supplies as New Year’s Eve approaches.