What does it mean to eat 12 grapes on the New Year?

The arrival of the new year renews hope that what is to come will be better. As part of this belief that something will change for the better with the almanac, there are many rituals to evoke “good luck” and the tradition of eat 12 grapes on New Years Eve (December 31) is one of them.

It’s a tradition that started in Spain and it has been inherited by several Latin American countries, such as Argentina, Mexico, Venezuela, Ecuador, Peru, Chile, and Colombia.

As for origin of custom, there are several versions. At the end of the 20th century, the Spanish newspaper El Imparcial was already talking about “beneficial grapes” that the members of the local bourgeoisie ate, imitating the Parisians, who ate them with champagne.

For his part, the American journalist specializing in gastronomy Jeff Koehler underlines in his book Spain that the ritual is linked to an extraordinary grape harvest that took place in Alicante in 1909. According to Koehler, their growers called them “The lucky grapes” to be able to sell the surplus of this extraordinary season.

Anyway, the custom quickly became popular, to the point that until today, the table of the 31 of the Spaniards cannot miss 12 grapes for each dinner. In Madrid, in addition, the rite has become massive and public, and for more than half a century, hundreds of people have gathered at the famous Puerta del Sol to wait 12 o’clock in the evening and eat their bouquet. The event is so relevant that it is usually broadcast live on television.

How do you eat the 12 grapes on New Years Eve and what does it mean?

Tradition indicates that the 12 grapes (not one more, not one less) They should be consumed as soon as the clock strikes 0 on the first day of the year, exactly during the first minute. The reward? Prosperity within 365 days of the cycle that begins.

As for the number 12, we think that symbolize the months of the year that begins, although this could also be related to the 12 chimes that sound in Puerta del Sol during this public ceremony in Madrid.

However, some things have changed since the origin of this ritual: today, New Year’s grapes are sold in delicate little packets, served at each dinner in individual bunches, or presented stuck on skewer sticks. In addition, Can be replaced traditional blond grapes for pink or black (depending on local market availability) or by uv raisinsa – they can be white or purple – and it is to be expected that any strain will retain the same “magical” power.

Time and popular culture also added some beliefs indigenous to each country to give “grape amulets” an even more powerful effect. Although the most ingrained custom indicates that make a wish with each of the 12 grapes that is brought to the mouth (for this to happen, if possible, in the following twelve months), there are those who swear that in addition, if the desire is to travel, you must eat the grapes at the same time around the block with a suitcase. AND in PeruFor example, the ceremony is performed under the dining room table.

But what about those people who don’t like grapes? Either the skin bothers them, or the seeds, or both … Apparently, the luck would be the same if they were replaced by other small fruits like blackberries, blueberries or raspberries. You can also resort to grape jelly candies. The important thing is that it is 12 and at the appointed time. For many, pure superstition, for others, rituals necessary to symbolize the hope that with the New Year dreams will come true.