Forget the champagne toasts and kisses at midnight, and bring on the fresh grapes!
A New Year's Eve tradition historically practiced in Spain and across Latin America has become a trend on social media, and entails eating 12 grapes under a table at the stroke of midnight.
In the lead-up to New Year's Eve, TikTok has abounded with videos of people preparing their midnight snack, hoping the grapes will usher in love or good fortune in the new year.
Some social media users who did the tradition last year shared their success stories, correlating grapes with new love. Others are still waiting for it to work for them.
Can a New Year's Eve ritual set you up for good luck? Here's a look at the origin of the tradition and its potential to open doors in your life.
Where did the New Year's Eve grape tradition come from?
There are theories about where the tradition began, but a prominent one dates back to 1909 in the Spanish town of Alicante, per the city's official website.
Grape farmers, according to legend, had an abundance of crops that year they needed to sell before they spoiled, per the city's website. They created a campaign encouraging people to at 12 grapes timed to the chiming of the bells on the New Year to beckon in luck — and the tradition remained.
The ritual has become more elaborate, too. As demonstrated in a number of TikTok videos, people now eat the grapes while crouched under a table wearing red clothing to attract love.
Could eating grapes under a table on New Year's Eve really attract love and luck?
The tradition isn't backed by scientific research — but Wendy Walsh, relationship expert with DatingAdvice.com and psychology professor, says setting clear intentions, and believing in the possibility of them coming true, can lead to results.
"Grapes eaten under a table may not necessarily beam in a soulmate, but that one’s belief in the possibility means they will notice and smile at more romantic opportunities,” Walsh said in an email to TODAY.com.
Similarly, licensed counselor Courtney Morgan tells TODAY.com that "participating in traditions that symbolize growth can be powerful," since you "direct your attention and energy towards hope and positivity."
"Our brains focus on things that support our belief system," she continues. "If we believe eating special foods at a specific time or quantity will bring good luck, we're much more likely to notice when we're having good luck or when things are working out for us."
Psychologist Kelsey M. Latimer tells TODAY.com in an email that the success of the trend might depend on what a person expects to gain.
"If eating grapes under a table causes a person to feel inspired to have success in the new year, it could be beneficial. However, if a person experiences anxiety around the trend not bringing love and success, then it could be best to leave behind," she says.
If remembered throughout the year, the ritual could be a way to reflect.
"When people engage in such activities, they (may) find themselves revisiting it throughout the year and asking where they are in meeting their goals or wishes,” Latimer says. “That in itself can be helpful in keeping us engaged in our intentions of what we wanted the year to be and to inspire us to follow through on our ‘wishlist.’”
Latimer explains that the trend could create a confirmation bias throughout the year, causing people to notice when positive events are happening for them around love and good fortune.
“The immediate interpretation might be the grapes caused the success, but a deeper dive might reveal your focus and commitment allowed you to achieve something that was already possible within you that you might not have prioritized or noticed without the tradition.”
How can people bring in love and abundance in the new year?
Psychologists suggest other ways to beckon in positive change in 2025, aside from downing a bunch of grapes on New Year's Eve.
Both Morgan and Latimer suggested focusing on SMART goals, meaning ones that are specific, measurable, achievable, relevant and time limited.
“Grapes could be a good first step to creating change; however, in order to have lasting change, it’s important to implement other actions and intentions,” Morgan says.
Creating vision boards at the start of a new year and placing them in a space you will see every day can assist in imagining and achieving long and short-term goals, Latimer says.
She also recommended keeping up with a gratitude list, which she says primes the brain to look for more positives each day.
Latimer emphasizes that grapes are not a prerequisite to finding love and happiness. Cultivating positive core beliefs will be more beneficial in the long run.
"Don't overlook your own power in your life," Latimer says.
