If you’re looking to ring in 2026 with good vibes and even better intentions, you might have come across the 12 grapes on New Year’s Eve tradition that’s currently doing the rounds on TikTok. Snacking, but make it meaningful.

So, why are people making a big deal of eating 12 grapes as they ring in the New Year? It’s actually a Spanish ritual that dates back hundreds of years, and is also popular in Latin American cultures – but the New Year’s practice of eating a grape on every gong before the clock strikes midnight has become something of a viral movement online.

Referred to by some as the ‘grape theory’, TikTokers swear that eating grapes on New Year’s Eve is the secret to finding love during the year ahead – and the concept has sparked countless videos sharing the romances that followed since last year’s NYE.

Why do people eat 12 grapes on New Year’s Eve?

The tradition is thought to be hundreds of years old, and originates in Spanish cultures. Known as ‘uvas de la suerte’ (or ‘grapes of luck’), it’s common for Spanish people – and also those in – some parts of Latin America and the Caribbean – to eat a grape on each of the 12 clock chimes before midnight on New Year’s Eve, to welcome the new year and bring good luck.

Many people eat their grapes in large celebrations in Spanish plazas or watch coverage on TV, and eat each grape in tandem with the clock strikes (one for each month of the year), making a wish for each one.

TikTok users are claiming that the ‘grape theory’ will bring romance and love to those that do it, with many claiming that they met a new partner in the new year following the ritual.

Where did the 12 grapes tradition start?

It’s hard to know exactly when this Spanish tradition began, but according to one source, the first reference to the tradition dates back to 1895. At the time, grapes were considered a delicacy. However, before long, the tradition was reportedly taken over by the less wealthy as a way of making fun of the upper classes.

Do you have to eat grapes under the table?

There have been many variations of the tradition explored on TikTok, with some claiming you need to be under a table to eat the grapes – and others stating you must wear red underwear while doing the ritual (another Spanish tradition to bring good luck and fortune). Most agree that this is optional, and the grapes are the fundamental part of the tradition.

What time to eat 12 grapes on New Year’s Eve?

Ok, so this is important. The tradition involves eating a grape on every clock gong before midnight – so yes, that means eating one grape every second when the clock starts chiming. At 11.59, when the countdown starts as midnight approaches, that’s when you need to get snacking. It’s said that you need to finish the grapes before midnight to cash in that luck, so er, lightning-fast chewing is essential.

As Spanish TikToker Bianca Romero says: “It’s fun… it’s silly, it’s almost impossible to eat all the grapes at once. If you can do it, or get close to it, it’s just meant to be more blessings and good luck for you for the next year.”

Honestly, we wouldn’t recommend this for young children (always cut grapes in half lengthways, then again, to great long strips that won’t cause choking) and yes, you may well have a mouthful of grapes by the time the clock strikes midnight. Maybe… choose small ones?

What happens if you don’t finish the grapes?

Unfortunately, if you don’t finish your 12 grapes by the final stroke of midnight, it means bad luck for the year ahead. Again, this gives us a little anxiety about choking hazards, so please be careful!

Can it be green or red grapes?

Most say that you can eat either green or red grapes at midnight, there’s no difference – though in Spain, it’s often green grapes that are chosen due to their sweetness and ready availability.