While the tradition is also popular in Latin America, it is a very big deal in Spain. Wolf, who lives in Seville, says that in Spain, just like Americans, they watch the action in Times Square on New Year’s Eve Campanadas at the Puerta de Sol, Live broadcast from Madrid to know when to eat the grapes: “It is a joyful way to welcome the New Year with optimism and intention.”

Is there a choking hazard when eating grapes on New Year’s Day?

According to Giovine, the aforementioned choking hazard is very real – so much so that certain precautions have been taken around the tradition. “Since the late 1960s, TV channels showed the bell tower in Plaza del Sol so that people who were not in Madrid could take part,” he says. “Funnily enough, since injuries always happen, I’ve heard that some bell ringers slow down the ringing so people can eat the grapes more slowly.”

Individuals have also found ways to mitigate the problem. “Seedless grapes sell out very quickly in Spain on New Year’s Eve,” notes Wolf.

Do you really have to be under a table?

If you want to sit under a table, that can’t hurt. But “it’s not part of the original tradition,” says Wolf.

“I had never heard of the table component until a few years ago when TikTok users started using it,” agrees Compora, adding that the table element likely originated in Peru and may be related to a Latin American superstition related to protection during the stay is associated with the search for love.

“Some people think that hiding under a table is a way to attract your soulmate,” Wolf explains. “In some cultures, the ritual has been expanded to add additional luck in areas such as love and wealth by lying under a table or performing other symbolic gestures, such as wearing certain colors – red underwear is said to bring good luck – or holding money. “

These variations also provide an interesting example of how traditions can evolve over time. “We must remember that all traditions – all rituals – are invented,” notes Giovine. “What makes it lasting is that it is relevant in the present and can connect current participants to their (often imagined) past. People celebrate this because their parents did it, and they pass it on to the future so that their children do too. For Spaniards living in the diaspora or for some Latin Americans, the custom of eating grapes symbolically reflects the participants’ Spanish heritage – much like the Feast of the Seven Fishes on Christmas Eve helps Italian Americans strengthen their Italian heritage.”

What color grapes are best for New Year’s Eve?

It turns out that which color grape you choose is entirely up to you. “Traditionally, grapes can be any color, but the most common are green grapes, probably because they are readily available and often sweeter,” says Wolf. Compora agrees: “My research shows that red or black grapes are enough.”