If there is a tradition strongly rooted in Spain to say goodbye to the year, it is to drink 12 grapes to the sound of the 12 bells that usher in the new year. In Madrid this celebration took to the streets many years ago and it is very popular to celebrate the beginning of the new year in the Puerta del Sol. Today, December 30, at 11 in the morning, a test of the clock's operation is carried out and hundreds of people are already gathering in the square; Tonight it has become traditional to go to Sol to celebrate the “preuvas”, say goodbye to the year one day early; but it is recommended not to eat grapes or, in any case, only raisins. The real grapes are left for tomorrow, they are the lucky grapes for the new year.
But how was the tradition established?
The most common explanation takes us to the year 1909. It seems that that year there was a large surplus of grapes in Alicante and the farmers managed to dispose of the production by converting them into the lucky grapes of the new year.
Although the reality is a little different, we imported this very Spanish tradition from France, where it was customary among the upper classes to drink grapes and toast with champagne; The tradition was imitated by the Spanish aristocracy who summered in Biarritz and who saw it as an element of status and sophisticated taste.
The press contributed very importantly to the dissemination of the tradition. Almost 122 years ago, on January 2, 1894, the newspaper El Siglo Futuro included an article from the morning newspaper El Imparcial on January 1 entitled “The beneficial grapes”, which describes the custom “imported from France, but it has acquired a natural letter among us”. Also in El Correo Militar it was read: “The imperishable custom of eating grapes upon hearing the first stroke of midnight had countless families gathered in fraternal colloquium, and they all shouted in chorus: One more year!”.
On New Year's Eve of 1895 we have documented references of how the President of the Council of Ministers, Práxedes Mateo Sagasta, said goodbye to the year, drinking grapes and champagne: “In the beautiful private residence of the Illustrious President of the Council of Ministers, almost all of his cabinet colleagues and some other distinguished figures met last night. At twelve o'clock at night the ministers greeted the beginning of the new year by eating delicious grapes and drinking champagne..."
This was reported on January 1, 1896 by La Correspondencia de España: universal news newspaper. That 1895 must have been a long one for Mateo Sagasta since the war of independence was declared in Cuba in February.
We see that at the end of the 19th century the tradition was becoming consolidated. Going to celebrate them at Puerta del Sol also began to take shape at that time.
Previously, there was another tradition that was celebrated on January 5: the people of Madrid carried a long ladder and looked for someone who had recently arrived in the city. At that time, the arrival of Galicians and Asturians was continuous, and they made them believe that they had to go out and wait. to the Three Wise Men and get some of the gifts they left on the balconies. This situation was taken advantage of to have a big party in the city where practically everything was allowed. That day had already become one of the most festive and noisy of those celebrated in Madrid.
Until, in December 1882, Mayor José Abascal Carredano, born in Pontones (Cantabria), published an order prohibiting drinking in the streets and organizing noise on the night of January 5 under a fine of five pesetas. A very high amount for the time. It is not known if he did it because he had to raise money for the exhausted city council coffers or because he was hurt because the people of Madrid made fun of immigrants like him. The fact is that the side was published and it was not very well received.
Some Madrid residents decided to satirize those wealthy classes who celebrated New Year's Eve lavishly in their homes and who prevented the popular classes from celebrating their festivities. They took to the street on another special date, New Year's Eve, and went to mock those who celebrated it like this in front of the headquarters of the Ministry of the Interior: taking twelve grapes to the time of the twelve chimes of the Puerta del Sol clock.
Since then, advertising has been reinforcing the "tradition": Thus, the Grapes of Luck, or the Miraculous Grapes or the Grapes of Fortune accompany us to say goodbye to the year. When on December 31, 1962 Spanish Television began broadcasting the 12 bells from Puerta del Sol, it turned the event into a massive party. Tomorrow there will be 25.000 people saying goodbye to 2015 in the square.
The desire to increase the number of holidays has led us to celebrate the farewell of the year on December 31 "official" since today, December 30, we celebrate the pre-grapes in Sol, a training for the big party tomorrow.

A hug and happy predictions.