Overview
- Participants eat one grape with each midnight chime to mark the coming twelve months, often making a wish for each fruit.
- The practice emerged in Spain in the late 19th and early 20th centuries, with a widely cited 1909 Alicante surplus helping popularize the “lucky grapes.”
- From Spain it spread through Latin America and into U.S. Latino communities, where it sits alongside customs like colored underwear, the suitcase walk, lentils and burning muñecos.
- Folklore adds layers of meaning, including finishing without choking as a good sign and a bitter grape hinting at a tougher month, with many preparing grapes and intentions in advance.
- Contemporary variations use seedless grapes, flexible timing or symbolic substitutes, keeping the focus on reflection, optimism and a collective moment to begin the year.