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Eating green grapes is the trend most enthusiastically embraced by Vietnamese youth on New Year's Day. Videos shared on social media platforms quickly attract millions of views.
Eating green grapes on New Year's Eve is not just a matter of imitation, but also carries a deeper meaning. The image of young people hurriedly crawling under tables to eat grapes as the clock strikes midnight on January 1st has piqued the curiosity of many. In reality, they do this to wish for good fortune in the new year.
This trend is colloquially known as "eating grapes under the table" at midnight on New Year's Eve, in the hope of a peaceful and happy new year.
This custom, originating from Spain, is called "Las doce uvas de la suerte," which roughly translates to "12 lucky grapes." According to this tradition, at the exact moment of transition between the old year and the new year, people eat 12 grapes, each grape representing a month of the year.
Some other opinions suggest that this custom dates back to the 1880s, when the Madrid bourgeoisie imitated the French tradition of eating grapes and drinking champagne on New Year's Eve. Over time, this tradition spread throughout Spain and became a unique cultural feature.
The people of this country call these grapes uvas de la suerte (roughly translated: lucky grapes).
This custom has become popular in many South American and Latin American countries, and even worldwide. Recently, this tradition has gone viral on TikTok, with many people challenging each other to eat 12 grapes in one minute. Traditionally, at the stroke of midnight, people eat a grape. This midnight chime is usually broadcast live from large squares such as Puerta del Sol in Madrid, Spain.
However, this challenge is not as easy as you might think. You have to eat all 12 grapes within exactly 12 chimes, which is one minute. For convenience, many people often skewer the grapes or peel and remove the seeds beforehand. In Spain, supermarkets even sell boxes of pre-prepared grapes to make it easier for people to perform this traditional ritual.
If we eat 12 grapes, corresponding to 12 ringing bells, a happy, peaceful, and lucky new year will come.
The grape variety commonly used is Aledo – a Spanish specialty grape with a mild sweetness, thin skin, and no seeds, making it suitable for this custom. The purpose of eating 12 grapes at midnight on New Year's Eve is to bring good luck and prosperity for the new year. It is believed that eating one grape at each chime of the clock will bring a prosperous and happy year. If you eat all 12 grapes within one minute, everything in your life will go smoothly, from work and health to love.
Some people believe that eating sweet grapes will bring good fortune during that month of the year. Conversely, eating sour grapes means facing challenges in life. Many believe that the "method of eating 12 grapes on New Year's Eve to find love" is effective because those who apply it genuinely desire a romantic turning point, thus opening their hearts to seek and receive love.
Recently, many Vietnamese TikTokers have also been posting clips of themselves "eating 12 grapes on New Year's Eve to find a lover." Many young people jokingly say that they eat grapes every day, from now until New Year's Eve, for the best results.
Although the custom of eating grapes has a long history, modern variations make it even more interesting. For example, some people in Latin America eat grapes under the table or use grapes of auspicious colors to bring good luck. However, these variations are purely personal and not a Spanish tradition.
