There are several interesting New Years Eve customs in Spain. I have already told you about the red underwear for good luck.
Now I am going to tell you about the “Las doce uvas de la suerte,” the twelve grapes of luck. This is one of the few traditions that does not have religious origins. It is customary to eat one grape for every chime of the clock tower at midnight. The timing must match the chime perfectly. Each grape that is eaten at the right time, gives you a month of good luck. So if you manage to eat all twelve grapes quickly, you will have a year of luck and prosperity. I did some research about the history of this custom and found several theories. One said that in the late 1800’s, the grape growers had an over abundance of grapes and so gave free grapes to the people. Another said that the king had a good year and an over abundance of grapes, so he ordered free grapes to be given out on New Years. However it started, it has continued for over 100 years and we will be joining in the fun this year. All the grapes that we have seen are very large and they all have seeds. So eating 12 grapes quickly will be tricky. Some places sell little cans with 12 peeled and seeded grapes for easier eating. We picked up a can for each of the kids.
Many people tune the t.v. to watch Madrid’s Puerta del Sol and listen to the bells chime at midnight. Then about 12:30 am, they head out to start the partying from one restaurant or bar to the next. I have heard that in our little village, people gather in the church plaza to eat grapes as the church bells chime. So we are planning to see in the new year with the rest of the village in the church plaza.
Before I close, I want to add one more thing just for fun. There is a town near Valencia that has a New Years Eve red underwear race. It would take us more than 6-7 hours to get there, so we will not be participating in or photographing this event. Bummer! Wish we were closer. It looks like fun doesn’t it! By the way, Luie sat beside me as I searched for this photo. When I put him to bed tonight he asked me if tomorrow was the day he got to run outside in his red underwear. Oh, oh, sorry buddy, they don’t do that here. Of course, knowing Luie, who knows he might just be the one to start the tradition here.
This image is from:
http://rhapsodyinbooks.wordpress.com/2011/12/31/new-year’s-eve-2011/