Most Spaniards and Cubans traditionally eat twelve grapes when the clock strikes midnight on New Year’s Eve, one grape for each of the twelve chimes of the clock, as a ritual for good luck in the coming year.

What they eat at midnight

  • In Spain, people follow the tradition of uvas de la suerte (“lucky grapes”), eating 12 grapes in sync with the 12 bell chimes as the new year begins.
  • Each grape is said to represent one month of the coming year, and finishing them all in time is believed to bring good fortune.
  • Many Cubans have adopted the same 12‑grape custom at midnight, also treating each grape as a symbol of luck for a month of the new year.

A few extra New Year touches

  • Cuban New Year’s Eve often includes a big roast pork dinner and other festive foods earlier in the evening, but the midnight “bite” is still the rapid‑fire 12 grapes tradition.
  • Both in Spain and in Cuban communities, people often turn it into a playful challenge, trying not to choke or burst out laughing while keeping pace with the clock.

So if you’re wondering what do most Spaniards and Cubans eat when the clock strikes midnight? — it’s not a grand feast at that exact moment, but a small plate of twelve lucky grapes , eaten very quickly for a hopeful new year.

TL;DR: They eat 12 “lucky” grapes at midnight on New Year’s Eve, one for each chime of the clock, as a good‑luck tradition popular in both Spain and Cuba.

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