What To Know About the 12 Grapes New Year’s Tradition Taking Over Social Media

There are many unique ways that cultures worldwide celebrate New Year's Eve and New Year's Day. If you have noticed your social media feed becoming flooded with people talking about the 12 grapes New Year's tradition every December and January, don't worry if you're feeling left out of this tradition.

This global tradition holds spiritual meaning, which is likely why, upon learning about the 12 grapes ritual, it has resonated with so many.

If you're planning a New Year's party with family and friends, or celebrating safely from home, here's what you should know about the 12 grapes New Year's tradition if you wish to partake.

According to NPR, the 12 grapes New Year's tradition comes from Spain. On nochevieja (which translates to "old night,") Spaniards consume las doce uvas de la suerte (which translates to "the 12 lucky grapes") while the Real Casa de Correos clock tower in Madrid chimes 12 times, once for each month, per NPR.

While the exact origins of this tradition are up for debate, NPR reports that the 12 grapes ritual began either in the early 1900s or in the 1880s as a nod to the French tradition of enjoying grapes and champagne on New Year's Eve.

Fast forward a century, and as Allrecipes notes, the tradition has taken over social media as users have become enamored with the idea of ringing in the new year hoping for all of the luck they can earn.

Per Allrecipes, practitioners of the tradition should consume the grapes one at a time, and if you can finish all 12 within a minute, you will enjoy much luck and prosperity in the upcoming year.

For those who wish to enjoy the tradition most traditionally, you'll want to seek out Aledo grapes. In fact, supermarkets in Spain sell the 12 lucky grapes in special packages for those who wish to celebrate this way.

So, now you know why people around the world have taken a nod from Spain and celebrate with 12 grapes on New Year's Eve as the clock strikes midnight. Did you know, though, that there are additional nuances to this tradition, which state that the 12 grapes should be consumed underneath a table?

According to Food Republic, the tradition of consuming the 12 grapes underneath a table appears to come from Peru. This added wrinkle to the tradition says that finishing the grapes under a table will infuse luck into your love life.

As my best friend from Colombia taught me, there are many ways that proud Colombians honor the past year and seek to add prosperity to the new year. According to Uncover Colombia, the maleta tradition (which translates to "suitcase") sees families walking around the home with an empty suitcase to help actualize travel wishes for the upcoming year.

You can also add items symbolic of the places you wish to go — for example, flip flops to symbolize a beach vacation — to your suitcase.

According to Food Republic, Italians wear red underwear to bring fertility success in the upcoming year. Per Swecamp, Swedish culture holds that New Year's Eve is a time to warmly welcome the new year with fireworks and gatherings with family and friends.

Good Housekeeping says Brazilians bring good luck to the new year by surfing over seven waves. If that's not your style, you might want to head to Ireland, where they bang on the walls with bread to cleanse the home of bad spirits.