It’s that time of year again when we gather round to munch our way through twelve grapes, drink too much cava, and wish everyone a Happy New Year. Of course, if you are trying to impress your Spanish friends, you’ll need to make sure you say “Feliz Año Nuevo” and be careful to get that ñ right in the middle. To leave that out would change the meaning quite drastically!!
But why do we munch our way through twelve grapes at midnight, one for each chime of the clock? Well, there are many theories but as I live near Alicante, I prefer the local legend. Many New Year grapes sold in Spain come from the Vinalopó area close to the city of Elche. It is thought that it all started on New Year’s Eve in 1909, when there was an exceptionally bountiful grape harvest. This led producers to market them as “lucky grapes” to increase their sales. Someone had the idea of eating 12 grapes at midnight, one for each month of the year. On a personal note, I prefer to find seedless grapes as they are less of a challenge!! This tradition is believed to bring good fortune. If you do manage to eat the 12 grapes on time, a prosperous year is predicted. However, not doing so could bring some kind of setback during the coming year
There are other theories that attempt to explain this custom. Some newspapers apparently reported this one back in 1882. According to accounts from that time, the bourgeois class had the custom of enjoying champagne and grapes during dinner on the last day of the year. As a form of protest , a group of people in Madrid decided to mock the tradition of the aristocratic elite. They gathered at the Puerta del Sol to eat grapes to the rhythm of the bells. Nowadays in the capital it is very common to go to Puerta del Sol to eat the grapes with thousands of others.
Of course, some places just have to be different though. The Alpujarran village of Bérchules (Granada) celebrate with grapes at midnight on the first Saturday in August! Maybe it’s because it is much warmer at that time of year!!
Wherever you are and however you plan to mark the turn of the year, we wish you health, wealth and happiness in the year ahead. All the best from us at Anything But Paella.
