'200-300 Customers Left Empty-Handed': Shopkeeper Reveals Craze For 12 Grapes Ritual On New Year's Eve

The Spanish New Year's Eve custom of eating 12 grapes at midnight has gained significant popularity in India, leading to widespread shortages on delivery apps and in local markets. The trend's popularity was highlighted in a recent viral video where a shopkeeper reported turning away hundreds of customers seeking green grapes to celebrate the occasion

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. 

"They told me that after 12 am, eating 12 grapes under the table can bring good luck," the shopkeeper told a group of girls who approached him for buying grapes.  

Quizzed if there were any grapes left, the shopkeeper said, "I don't have any left. There is less than 10 per cent chance that you will find it in the market."

"200-300 people may have left empty-handed, and I can't even count how many would have bought the grapes," the man said, explaining that green grapes were mandatory for the custom, not the red grapes or other varieties.

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'Couldn't Find Green Grapes'

As of the last update, the video had garnered over 2.6 million views and hundreds of comments as social media users shared how they also had to face difficulties to buy grapes on December 31.

"My father found them after roaming the entire market," said one user, while another added: "I could not find green grapes. Would have to settle with the black ones."

A third commented: "It could be nice business idea. Instead of giving away the entire grapes they can just make a packet of 12 and label it as New Year grapes or something and sell at normal price or even at a high. Anyways people are gonna buy due to shortage."

A fourth said: "Even in my locality, a shopkeeper was asking if there was any puja as all the grapes had been sold out."

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.