The 12 grapes tradition is a New Year’s Eve ritual where you eat 12 grapes right as the year changes, making a wish or intention with each grape to bring good luck for the 12 months ahead.

What the tradition is

  • It comes from Spain and is now common in many Latin American and Caribbean communities.
  • The 12 grapes are called “uvas de la suerte” (grapes of luck), and each grape represents one month of the coming year.

When you do it

  • Do it on New Year’s Eve, during the final countdown to midnight.
  • In the classic version, you eat one grape with each of the 12 chimes or seconds as the clock strikes midnight.

Step‑by‑step how to do it

  1. Prepare 12 grapes per person (many people prefer small, seedless green grapes so they are easier to chew quickly).
  1. Optional: Peel and deseed them ahead of time, especially for kids or anyone who might struggle with big grapes.
  1. Just before midnight, everyone gets their 12 grapes on a plate or in a small bowl.
  1. When the clock begins the 12 final chimes (or last 12 seconds), eat one grape for each chime/second. Try to finish all 12 before the last chime.
  1. As you eat each grape, silently make a wish or set an intention—either one wish per grape or one big wish you focus on the whole time.

Fun variations people use

  • Some people do it “under the table” or briefly duck under the tablecloth after finishing, as a playful add‑on for luck or love.
  • Others wear red or yellow underwear for extra luck in love or money, turning it into a full New Year’s “good luck combo.”
  • Many turn it into a group challenge: whoever finishes all 12 first (without choking) gets bragging rights or a small prize.

Safety and practical tips

  • Choose small, seedless grapes and chew well; this is especially important for kids and older adults because the “one grape per second” pace can be intense.
  • If you can’t keep up with the strict timing, most people treat it as fun, not a rigid rule—better to go slower than risk choking.

TL;DR: Get 12 (small, seedless) grapes per person, start at the last 12 chimes before midnight, eat one grape per chime while making wishes or intentions, and aim to finish all 12 as the New Year begins for good luck in each month.

Information gathered from public forums or data available on the internet and portrayed here.