I really thought I was on my good luck game this new year. I stocked up on black-eyed peas and collared greens days before to make sure I could prepare a proper Southern New Year's Feast that would help me usher all the good fortune and success imaginable into 2024.
But, as I braised greens and fried up bacon on January 1st, I scrolled through post after post of people eating grapes (12 to be exact) at the stroke of midnight the night before. What was this all about—and how was I only just hearing about it? I immediately got online to find out why people all over TikTok were ravenously eating grapes at midnight, and what it meant.
Why You Should Eat 12 Grapes at Midnight on New Year’s Eve
Originating in Spain, the tradition of eating grapes at the stroke of midnight is believed to welcome good fortune and prosperity in the new year. It’s known as "Las doce uvas de la suerte," or "The twelve grapes of luck,” and each of the 12 grapes represents a month of the new year.
The custom began back in the late 1800s but was popularized in the early 1900s when farmers in the Alicante area produced an overabundant harvest and needed a way to increase grape sales.
As the sweet tradition goes, you’re supposed to eat the grapes one at a time at each chime of the clock (which, honestly, sounds a bit challenging). If you can finish all 12 grapes within the minute, you’ll see luck, success, and positive energy in the new year. Oftentimes, people will serve them skewered on a stick for easier eating, and whether you scarf them down at home or out at large group gatherings (like Puerta del Sol in Madrid or Times Square in New York City) is entirely up to you.
If you want to get really superstitious about it, there is a right kind of grape to eat for this ritual as well. Aledo grapes are a traditional Spanish variety protected by the country’s designation of origin, and they’re wrapped in paper bags as they ripen to develop uniquely sweet, pale, thin-skinned grapes. In Spain, you can even find tins of 12 “lucky grapes” sold in supermarkets that are already peeled, seeded, and ready for easy popping.
At first, I thought the grape-eating ritual was associated with finding love in the new year, but that’s really just one interpretation of it. More so, the direction of luck is all about the intentions you have when eating each grape, whether that be toward your finances, health, or your love life. The superstitious practice is also known to ward off evil spirits and negative energy.
Do you have to eat them under the table some TikTok users say? No, that's not necessary. Sure, there are variations on exactly how the grapes are eaten depending on the region you're in, but it sounds like this new add-on specifically is more of a TikTok trend than a true historical practice.
So, whether you want to believe in the results or not, this festive tradition is a fun way to celebrate the turn of the year with friends and family. I might’ve been a little late to the party this time around, but next NYE, I’ll be adding seedless grapes to my shopping list. After all, good food and good fortune are the best ways to ring in the new year.
