How many of you are going to have the 12 grapes on New Year's Eve?

Me, for sure... with the tolls of the bell from the Puerta del Sol via radio, as if I was there.

Great Idea, Connie! But where can one find a live broadcast of the festivities at P' del Sol on New Year's eve? Will any of the stations carried via internet here at MadridMan.com be 'webcasting' from Puerta del Sol (or elsewhere in Spain?)? Also, when do you think is the appropriate time: midnight in Madrid ( 5pm US Central time) or Midnight Local (Or Both?!)

Please allow me to display my ignorance on this subject: Does one swallow one grape on each toll of Midnight's bell, or stuff one grape in your mouth at each toll, then chew 'em up and swallow 'em down at the final stroke?

Any 'ol way, Have a Great and Safe New Year's Eve, everybody!!

............Kurt

Kurt

The Puerta del Sol full of clock watching hamsters on New Years Eve? What a funny sight this must be!!

I bet whichever way, there are lots of spluttering people by the stroke of 12!


I have heard about this custom, but have never seen any pictures of it, or heard the finer details such as you are asking.

Jo-Anne

Hi Kurt,
You can have your own technique, I prefer to put all of them in my mouth and them try to chew (Mission Impossible). But the important thing is that you have eaten all of them beforte the bell stops (Mission Impossible II). Usually they set up the bell in the way that you have enough time, but one year it was too fast and people was complaining for the whole year.
Another tradition, put a ring of pure gold in your cava for luck and don't forget to wear red underwear. If you do so you will have a wonderful year
You can see the Puerta del Sol in the TVE Internacional channel (I hope) or try to go to www.terra.es and they will tell you where you can see the Puerta del Sol.
HAPPY NEW YEAR!!!!!!!!!!!

I read your post earlier this morning and dashed out to the ShopRite to buy grapes. It's snowing a lot here in Philadelphia, so that was an extraordinary effort. I recall that in Madrid they 'price up' the grapes for New Year's eve: at $2.49 a pound it appears that they do the same here.

Now we have enough grapes and a bottle of Codorniu to wash them down.
PROSPERO AN~O NUEVO!

Now would those be green grapes or red???
Y'know, I have a sister-in-law named Nuria from Madrid...Could it be the SAME girl!!???

Tracy

Yes Tracy, I am the same girl

Kurt,
Radio Nacional de Espana (RNE) (en emisión exterior) broadcasts the bell of the Puerta del Sol- but at Spain time, for sure, so that you have to celebrate the New Year a bit earlier than usually
You´d better choose small grapes in order to manage to eat them in time. Good luck and happy new year!

Hola y Feliz y prospero Ano Nueva!!

Its a fwe minutes after 5pm here in the Midwest of America. I just listened to the bells of midnight ringing over La Puerta Del Sol via TeleMadrid Radio, and swallowed twelve grapes, one at each stroke, for good luck in the coming year! I will get all my friend to do so at Midnight here, about seven hours away.

Its great to experience a little of New Year's in Madrid, even from thousands of miles away. Listening to the roar of the Puerta del Sol crowd as fireworks went off overhead was a thrill. I'm picturing it in my mind now!Thank you, Madridman, for providing this to me and all your loyal posters. HAPPY NEW YEAR TO ALL!!!

I realize it's a little late for 2001, but for next New Year's Eve, I've found the easiest, most foolproof way to swallow all 12 is to "woof" them like you would sucking Jell-o. DON'T CHEW THEM...inhale them whole. I did it the first time in 1989 and was able to do each one ON the stroke of the clock. Happy New Year to all!

Nuria, guess what I`ve heard in the radio the other night? I`ve heard that if you wear "red underwear" you should have a year full of sex, if you wear "green or solf blue" you should have lots of love and the gold was for money. And also you have to start the year with your right foot for good luck.

I did it all, but I finish to chew my grapes 2 minutes after 12. Too hard for me, my mother had bought real big ones.

HAPPY NEW YEAR TO EVERYBODY!!

Saludos,
Celia



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Celia U,
I didn't know about the red underware and sex... I guess I am going to have a happy husband this year (sorry Madridman, I hope this kind of jokes are allowed here)
Besos, Nuria

My ladyfriend (una madrileña) and I ate 12 grapes with the last 12 strikes before midnight in the small Peru village of Chavoy, near the Cañon del Colca (where we saw 4 condors!!). In the days before, all the vendors were running around selling YELLOW ladies underwear. My ladyfriend said THIS was the color that women should wear at midnight in order to have goo luck in the following year.

I'm pretty confident that any one of the many internet radio stations from Spain listed on MadridMan's Real Radio, TV, Music, & Movies probably carried the countdown from Madrid's Puerta del Sol. Wish I was there!!

Welcome back, Tracy Moral!! It's been a LONNNNG time since we've seen you here. Hope you new addition is happy and healthy.

¡Feliz Año Nuevo! Saludos, MadridMan

Welcome Home, MadridMan--

I was listening to the festivities right here via TeleMadrid Radio, and loved it.

But... Couldn't find a Purta Del Sol webcam anywhere (even after checking the sites on the "Webcams in Spain" thread). Anyone have any info on this?

I did las uvas with my "political family" in Malaga - my trick is to take out the pips (seeds) beforehand.

No wonder... It was my first time doing the grapes and I almost choked with the seeds!

It's also wise to not use the dry, red grapes. Nothing like "inhaling" food that feels like it's wrapped in a fish wrap!