SPANISH TRADITIONS ON NEW YEAR'S EVE
Do you want to know how they welcome the New Year in Spain?
In Spain, 31 December is a very special celebration, where the partying and fun goes on well into the early hours of the morning.
There are different traditions that make it a great party and give it a special atmosphere. Starting with the main squares of each city, which you will find full of people waiting for the last minutes of the year to count down.
If you are interested in Spanish traditions on New Year's Eve, in this post we will tell you about them. Let's get started!
THE TWELVE GRAPES
According to tradition, you have to eat twelve grapes one at a time, to the rhythm of the chimes that signal midnight on 31 December. Whoever manages to eat them all in time will have a year full of luck and prosperity.
The grapes are the most eagerly awaited moment of New Year's Eve. In fact, the chimes are broadcast live on television throughout Spain. On this day, it is customary to get together with family or friends to enjoy a good dinner and then eat the twelve grapes.
THE CHIMES OF THE PUERTA DEL SOL
There is undoubtedly one place in Spain that is particularly famous for this tradition: Madrid's Puerta del Sol. Thousands of people gather every New Year's Eve in front of its clock to celebrate the arrival of the New Year, transforming the place into a huge party with confetti, music and streamers everywhere; people dressed up in wigs, hats and masks.
After the grapes, bottles of cava are uncorked and everyone drinks a toast with friends, family and the people around them.
NEW YEAR'S EVE DINNER
The Spanish bid farewell to the year with a hearty and succulent feast. During this dinner they follow the stereotype that they are very exaggerated, following the idea that the more the merrier. Suckling pig, turkey and roast lamb are classics, as well as baked sea bream and red cabbage with pine nuts. There is no shortage of prawns or smoked salmon as an appetiser, and with desserts come endless trays of Christmas sweets such as marzipan, polvorones and turrón (nougat).
NEW RED UNDERWEAR
Another of Spain's long-established New Year's Eve traditions. The colour red represents love and passion, so it is assumed that by wearing red underwear your life will be tinged with passionate romanticism for the next year. But you can also wear a red ribbon on your left wrist and passion will be with you all year long.
TOASTING WITH CAVA OR CHAMPAGNE
A classic among the rites of New Year's Eve, and of almost any self-respecting celebration, is to toast with cava or champagne after the last bell. It is also a tradition for married couples to put their wedding rings in their glasses to symbolically guarantee the couple's love and stability for another year.
And these have been the most shared and repeated traditions year after year in Spain. We hope we have accompanied you to learn more about Spanish culture and tradition today.
See you in the next post!