Feliz Año Nuevo or Happy New Year for 2015

Spending this year bouncing between Ireland, the UK and Spain has definitely been a learning experience – my Spanish is coming along (slowly) and I am getting to know a few of the local customs. So in the spirit of joining in with tonights New Years Eve festivities, I decided to find out a little more about how the Spanish people traditionally ring in the New Year. Apparently the first thing to understand is that it is all about las uvas or the grapes – and not the pressed and fermented kind either!

These are symbolic grapes, known as las doce uvas de suetre or the twelve grapes of luck. Foreigners are warned not to start eating the grapes until the clock strikes midnight. At the first ‘bong’ or strike for midnight, eat the first grape and make a wish for the coming year. Then do the same for each of the twelve grapes and twelve strikes of the clock. I’m not normally a fan of grapes, in fact, I’m not even sure if it is possible to eat twelve grapes that quickly, but I think I may have to make an exception tonight. Maybe the tradition will work just as well if I pour them in liquid form…

Time to prepare my twelve wishes for the year ahead, best wishes an amazing 2015!