Graphic by Sammy Bates
From counting down the clock to a kiss at midnight–or eating grapes, New Year’s Eve is a holiday heavily populated by tradition and superstition surrounding good luck for the coming year.
What were the grapes about?
This year, many participated in a trend known as “Las Doce Uvas de la Suerte” or “The Twelve Grapes of Luck”.
Despite TikTok’s recent popularization of the trend, 12 grapes is a Spanish tradition dating back as far as 1895. The ritual consists of eating a grape at each stroke of midnight on New Year’s Eve. This is in hopes of bringing good luck into the new year.
The trend has been co-opted with a slight shift in its intent. Many people now perform this ritual specifically with the hopes of romantic success.
How did the grapes work?
The modes and methods by which to perform it vary from person to person. Still, according to many on TikTok, the recipe for success is crouching beneath a table and wearing red underwear while eating the grapes.
Though ducking under a table seems to be more of a TikTok flourish, color-coordinating your underwear is another time-honored New Year’s tradition.
For example, red underwear is meant to symbolize love, passion and fertility. This makes it the color of choice in this instance.
Neither the table nor the underwear are mandatory to perform the ritual though. If TikTok is to be believed, though, they might have increased your chances.
Because the tradition originated in Spain, green grapes are considered customary as they are more readily available. This is not necessarily a dealbreaker. Ultimately, it boils down to personal preference. Whatever was your grape of choice, you should have the same chances of success.
What’s the success rate?
Overall, the trend has resulted in varying degrees of success. Many report no change whatsoever. Others report having found a long-term partner.
Nevertheless, if your New Year’s ritual has yet to prove fruitful–pun intended–as Valentine’s Day rolled by, don’t be discouraged. Many people who have reported romantic success after participating in the trend say they met their special someone at least six months after the fact.
Truthfully, there is no unequivocal, scientific proof of the ritual’s success. However, mental health professionals have weighed in explaining there may be a psychological benefit. If nothing else, it can certainly be seen as an exercise in manifestation.
So, whether it’s underwear color, resolutions or even grapes, the real magic lies in having a vision of the future and actively taking steps toward achieving it.
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