The origin of the trend of sitting under the table and eating 12 grapes

The Straits Times (Singapore) said this trend has been popular for the past few years and early 2025 is no exception.

This tradition is called “12 Lucky Grapes.” Participants eat 12 grapes while sitting under the table at midnight on December 31. They believe this will bring luck and fortune for each month of the new year.

CBS News (USA) reported that this tradition originated in Spain in the early 1900s by grape farmers. This custom then spread to Central and South America.

But NPR (USA) reported that the origin of eating 12 grapes may also have come from the Madrid (Spain) bourgeoisie copying the French tradition of eating grapes and drinking champagne on the last day of the year.

But the story goes that Madrid residents wanted to protest against class discrimination and decided to mock the nobility by going to the city center to eat grapes.

Not only that, an episode of the American hit TV series Modern Family aired in 2013 featured actress Sofia Vergara, who played a Colombian character, saying that her life had changed dramatically after following this tradition. Sofia Vergara's character said: "At midnight, you eat 12 grapes and make 12 wishes. One for each month of the year."

In recent years, many videos on social network TikTok have even claimed that young women are more likely to have "luck" in their love relationships if they practice this tradition.

Some believe that eating grapes will help predict the new year, with sweet grapes meaning months of joy and happiness, while sour grapes are a warning of possible difficulties.