Last updated 9 November 2026. Origins are disputed; dates differ between sources and are given as ranges, not as certainties.
Spanish New Year’s Eve is built around one precise moment: the twelve chimes of midnight. Here is how the custom works and where it may come from.
The twelve grapes (las doce uvas)
At midnight, people eat one grape with each of the twelve chimes. Each grape stands for a month of the coming year, and you make a wish with it. The chimes are traditionally followed on television from the clock in Madrid’s Puerta del Sol, and a countdown starts about twelve seconds before midnight. Many people peel or seed the grapes beforehand, because eating twelve in twelve seconds is harder than it sounds.
Where does it come from?
The origin is disputed.
- Madrid, late 19th century. The most documented theory says wealthy Madrid households adopted champagne and grapes for New Year’s Eve, influenced by France, and ordinary people copied or mocked the habit in the street. Press references appear in the 1890s.
- The 1909 grape surplus. A popular story says growers marketed surplus grapes as “lucky grapes” after a big harvest. Earlier press references show the custom already existed, so the surplus probably only helped to spread it.
Sources disagree on exact years, so treat any single date with caution.
Other customs
People also mention red underwear for luck, money in the shoe, a toast with cava or champagne just after midnight, and putting a suitcase outside the door to bring travel in the year ahead. These vary by family and region and are not universal.
How to join in
If you celebrate in a restaurant or venue in Marbella, ask whether the grapes are provided at midnight. Not every venue provides them, so it is worth asking. Browse New Year’s Eve events in Marbella or read the complete guide.
Quick answer
Why do Spaniards eat twelve grapes at midnight?
Each grape is eaten with one chime of the clock and stands for one month of the coming year, with a wish for each. Where the custom began is disputed: Madrid at the end of the 19th century is the best-documented origin.
Looking for dinners and parties? See New Year’s Eve events in Marbella.