Overview
- The ritual remains one of the most widespread New Year practices in Spanish‑speaking communities, with one grape eaten for each of the twelve chimes and a wish made per grape.
- Histories point to Spain in the late 19th and early 20th centuries, with accounts citing a 1909 surplus promoted by Alicante producers or earlier imitation of French bourgeois customs.
- Each grape symbolizes a month of the coming year, and many participants prepare specific intentions in advance to channel hopes for health, prosperity and personal goals.
- Popular beliefs add texture to the custom, including the idea that not choking foretells a smoother year and that a sour grape hints at a challenging month, with some aiming to finish before 12:01 a.m.
- The tradition spread from Spain to Latin America and into U.S. Latino households, where it continues to adapt through seedless grapes, flexible timing and symbolic substitutes while preserving its meaning.