Did you know people in Spain celebrate New Year twice?
New Year Madrid – New Year is coming soon! 🙂
Yes, in Spain we celebrate 30th December Pre-New Year’s Eve and 31th December New Year’s Eve.
Do you know how Spaniards celebrate New Year?
Holidays are coming and in Spain, we have special ways to celebrate them! Of course, we party a lot in Spain as almost everywhere else around the world in New Year’s, but at midnight we do something different, we eat 12 grapes.
When the bells start ringing at midnight, we eat 12 grapes, one by one, for every ring bell. The legend says if we do not eat the grapes in time we will not have good luck during the rest of the new year, so it is very important to manage to eat the grapes in time. Eating 12 grapes at midnight on New Year’s Eve in Spain is a tradition.
Twelve grapes symbolize 12 lucky months
To make eating the grapes easier we advise you to buy smaller grapes without seed and separate them in a pocket of 12-12 portions.
The guide of 6 kinds of people and their ways of eating the grapes in a successful way
- The careful– Eats the grapes carefully, on time, one by one while the bells are ringing, and starts the new year in time.
- The glutton– Puts the 12 grapes at the same time in the mouth and swallows them later.
- The impatient– Wants to eat the grapes as soon as he/she can and eats the first before the first bell ring (the legend says it brings bad luck).
- The cautious– Prepares the grapes in advance cutting them in half and eats them with a fork. (the best method for kids).
- Showman–Throws the grapes in the air and catches them with the mouth.
- The Drunk – Starts to eat the grapes but speak and drink so much that he/she forgets to finish eating all of them. (This profile is more common between the people.)
How Madrilians celebrate New Year?
People gather around for a dinner with friends and family and after they go together to Puerta del Sol, to eat the 12 grapes. The atmosphere is amazing and the square starts to become a party location. You can find music everywhere, people dressed up with masks and hats. You can feel the joy in the air. After the grapes, people start to open bottles of champagne to clink glasses with everybody and they drink together on the square (this day is not forbidden to drink on the streets 😉 )
More pubs and clubs organize New Year Madrid parties but in case you would like to join any, you should book your party ticket in advance because generally, they have limited tickets.
What time does the New Year Madrid Party finish?
To tell the truth, it is up to you, firstly because in Madrid the clubs are open generally till 6:00 and secondly because there are places that offer after parties so you can party till your body gives up.
If you are not sure you could make eating the 12 grapes in time you should practice it the night before in Pre-New Year’s Eve with us with the Crazy New Year Madrid Pub Crawl.
Meeting Point: 30th December 22:30 at DESEO BAR
Address: Echegaray 13, Madrid
Price: 18 €
For our VIP Madriders a special discount of 5 euro!
It includes 2 pubs and 1 club, one free shot in each pub, 1-hour open bar of beer and sangria in the first pub, free entrance everywhere, 2-3 euro discounts on your drinks and of course grapes for the Pre-New Year.
New Year Madrid
join us!
