Eating grapes under a table is a New Year’s Eve tradition, popularized online, in which people eat 12 grapes under a table in hope of luck in love.
Tradition
In Spain and Latin America, people eat 12 grapes at midnight on New Year’s Eve, one for each month, for good luck.
Under the table
A trend popularized on TikTok in 2023 and 2024 says eating the grapes under a table brings luck in love and relationships.
Evidence
This is a modern superstition. There is no scientific evidence.
Safety
Cut grapes for small children to prevent choking.
Origin
The grape tradition began in Spain in 1909.
The tradition
Eating twelve grapes at midnight on New Year’s Eve, one for each chime, is a Spanish tradition called “las doce uvas de la suerte” (the twelve grapes of luck), widely believed to have been popularized in the early 1900s after a grape surplus in Alicante in 1909. The custom spread to Latin America, Portugal and the Philippines.
- Each grape stands for a month of the year, and a sour grape is said to foretell a bad month.
- In some Latin American countries, people eat grapes while standing or sitting under a table, with the belief that it brings love or a partner in the new year.
- There is no scientific evidence that the practice affects luck or relationships.
Safety
Swallowing 12 grapes in 12 seconds is a choking hazard, especially for children. Cut grapes in quarters for children under 5, based on pediatric advice. Grapes and raisins are toxic to dogs and can cause kidney failure, so keep them away from pets. Many people use a smaller grape, peel it, or eat one at each chime at a relaxed pace.
The tradition
In Spain and Latin America, people eat 12 grapes at midnight on New Year’s Eve, one for each chime of the clock, and some sit under the table while eating them as a custom believed to bring luck in love in the coming year. The grape tradition dates to the early 1900s in Spain, when growers in Alicante promoted it.
Safety
Grapes are a choking hazard for young children, so cut them. Grapes are toxic to dogs, so keep them away from pets. It is a folk custom with no scientific basis.
Superstition details
The Spanish tradition of las doce uvas de la suerte began in the early 20th century. Eating twelve grapes in twelve seconds as the clock strikes midnight is believed to bring twelve good months. Sitting under the table is a tradition in some regions for love or work luck. Latin American countries have variants with lentils, yellow underwear and suitcases for travel luck.
Choking and pet safety
The American Academy of Pediatrics lists whole grapes as a choking risk for children under 4, so cut them lengthwise. In dogs, grapes and raisins can cause kidney failure at doses as low as 0.3 ounces per pound of grapes or 0.05 oz/lb raisins, according to the ASPCA. Make sure pets cannot access grapes.
Based on data from the American Academy of Pediatrics and the ASPCA
