What is 12 grape tradition that took the internet by storm on New Year's eve
PTC News Desk: The tradition of eating 12 grapes on New Year to bring good luck in next year has taken the internet by storm. The tradition is widely celebrated in Spain which dates back to 19th century.
It is believed that each grape is a symbol of a wish or a resolution that people take for the 12 months ahead and as the clock strikes midnight, they eat one grape with chime of the bell, aligning their wishes with the arrival of the New Year.
Traditionally this ritual is popular to invite optimism, good fortune and prosperity into people's lives. But some also allege that this was just a ploy by grape farmers of Spain to not just boost sales but also to prevent the excess harvest of the season to not go waste.
Regarded as the origin of the tradition, the Puerta del Sol celebration is the largest of its kind in Spain, attracting tens of thousands of people at midnight to take part in the custom of eating 12 grapes in time with the 12 chimes of the Royal Post Office clock on the Real Casa de Correos building.
History of the tradition
Marcelino Lominchar, author of Historias de la historia de España, explains in a LinkedIn discussion: "In the mid-19th century, Spain’s aristocracy embraced a French holiday custom of drinking champagne and eating grapes, a luxury reserved for the wealthy. By 1894, even Prime Minister Cánovas del Castillo was reported to have celebrated the New Year this way. Meanwhile, the general public had a different, more boisterous tradition—on January 5, they would create chaos demanding gifts from the Three Wise Men while getting drunk. However, in 1896, Madrid’s mayor imposed heavy fines to curb these disturbances. In response, people shifted their celebrations to New Year’s Eve, beginning the custom of eating grapes during the clock chimes at Puerta del Sol, which eventually became the '12 lucky grapes' tradition."
What is the significance of Puerta del Sol?
Puerta del Sol is a public square that was once one of the original seven gates of Madrid, though it is the only one that has not survived. In the 18th century, King Ferdinand VI ordered the construction of a new headquarters for the Postal and Courier Service, naming it the Royal Post Office (Real Casa de Correos) at Puerta del Sol. Initially, the Royal Post Office did not have a clock, but its neighbor, the Church of Buen Suceso, did, with a clock marking the hours. When the church was demolished in 1854, it became necessary to install a clock on the Royal Post Office building, as it housed the postal and courier services. To do this, a small tower was added to the façade, with a clock featuring three faces, topped by the bells from the demolished church. However, the clock was so unreliable that each face displayed a different time.
- With inputs from agencies
