You are supposed to eat the 12 grapes right as the New Year begins, traditionally one grape for each chime of the clock at midnight on New Year’s Eve.

Quick Scoop: When to Eat Them

  • The classic Spanish ritual says you start eating exactly at the first chime of midnight on December 31 and try to finish all 12 grapes before 12:01 a.m.
  • You eat one grape per chime (so, 12 chimes = 12 grapes), each one symbolizing good luck for a month of the coming year.
  • Many people treat it as a fun “speed challenge” and try to get all 12 down within those few seconds of bells or countdown.

Modern “Under the Table” Twist

  • A trending variation on social media is eating the 12 grapes under the table at midnight, usually for luck in love or relationships specifically.
  • The timing is still the same: under the table right at midnight while you eat your 12 grapes for the new year.

Quick Tips So You Don’t Choke

  • People often use small, seedless grapes, and some even peel them beforehand to make it easier to eat them quickly and safely.
  • You can prep them in a small cup or skewer so they’re ready to grab as soon as the countdown hits zero.

In short: have your 12 grapes ready, and start eating them with the first bell or “Happy New Year!” at midnight, finishing before the first minute of the new year is over.

TL;DR: You’re supposed to eat the 12 grapes at the stroke of midnight on New Year’s Eve, one per chime or second, finishing all 12 in that first minute of the new year.

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