New Year’s traditions often vary from country to country. However, some of them are becoming so popular that they are willingly practiced in many countries around the world. This is what happened with the superstition of eating bright grapes on New Year’s Eve. This ritual is most famous in Spain, Mexico and Italy. It is believed that it brings happiness or love.
This is one of the most popular Spanish traditions, which is also practiced, among others, in Italy. It is becoming more and more popular in Poland. It dates back to 1895, but was most popularized in 1909. In . Then the harvest of these fruits was so large that farmers came up with the idea of spreading the custom of eating 12 grapes at midnight on New Year’s Eve.
This superstition talks about eating 12 grapes for a reason – they are supposed to symbolize both the months of the year and the number of gongs that mark the end of December 31 and the beginning of January 1. According to this tradition, if we eat the fruit, we will be luckyand if we fail, we may face bad luck. The greatest difficulty of this game is the need to eat one piece every second – according to the countdown or gongs to the New Year.
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In Mexico, this tradition has been slightly changed – you still have to eat 12 grapes every second, they count down to January 1, however, in this version you have to do it while under the table. This superstition is mainly aimed at people who are not married, because it is supposed to ensure happiness in love and help finding your other half in the coming year.
For both of these traditions, eat fresh white grapes with or without seeds. Due to the limited time available for consumption, seedless grapes with smaller fruits will be a safer choice. Another tradition that is worth combining with eating fruit is entering the New Year on the right foot, which is supposed to bring good luck. This simply means that we should take the first step on January 1 with the right foot.
Moreover, there is also the tradition of throwing a gold object into a glass, e.g. a ringwhich is also supposed to bring happiness. You shouldn’t take it out until you drink all the contents and hug everyone with whom you celebrate New Year’s Eve.
