Why People Eat 12 Grapes On New Year's Eve? Know Origin, History Of Popular Ritual

From the fireworks over Sydney Harbour to the ball drop in Times Square, New Year's Eve is synonymous with traditions that have become iconic. Beyond the standard parties and gatherings, the Spanish custom of eating 12 grapes to welcome the year has now gained immense popularity. This ritual has transitioned from its Mediterranean roots to become a celebrated ritual in Colombia and numerous other countries around the world, including India.

Known as las doce uvas de la suerte (the twelve lucky grapes), this Spanish New Year's tradition involves eating one grape for each month to manifest goals for the coming year. While long-established in Spain, the custom gained widespread pop culture recognition after Sofia Vergara's character, Gloria Pritchett, performed the ritual in an episode of the Emmy-winning TV show Modern Family.

In India, the tradition has caught on as well with the urban population ordering grapes to usher in the New Year. Albinder Dhindsa, the CEO of Blinkit, revealed on New Year's Eve last year that the platform delivered seven times more grapes than on a regular day.

We've already delivered 7x more grapes than we do on a regular day 🤯

And thank you to everyone who explained the tradition in the replies! https://t.co/HOshQuOotK

— Albinder Dhindsa (@albinder) December 31, 2024

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What Is The '12 Grapes' Tradition?

While the tradition has gained widespread social media attention in recent years, its origins date back to the early 1900s, according to a report in the BBC. It is believed that in 1909, farmers brought their bumper harvest to the capital city of Madrid to sell it to people who had gathered there to celebrate the New Year.

How To Eat The 12 Grapes?

It is said that anyone participating in the custom must finish eating the 12 grapes, one by one, before the clock strikes 12:01 AM. Failure to do so can result in a year of misfortune. In Spain, supermarkets sell tins of '12 lucky grapes' in the lead-up to the New Year. These grapes come peeled and seeded, making them easy to eat in quick succession.