| It started as someone's bright idea. Many years ago, | | | | more, we can actually make a wish with every grape |
| around the start of the 20th century in Madrid, Spain, | | | | that we eat." |
| there was a bountiful grape harvest. The thing was | | | | And that was that. |
| there was just too many of them that even after they | | | | The people in Madrid, Spain, up to this day, are still |
| were sold to usual buyers and disposed through other | | | | following that guy's advice. On the eve of the New |
| channels, there were still a lot of grapes lying around. | | | | Year, they'll have 12 grapes sitting in front of them. You |
| It's the Christmas season, the New Year is almost | | | | can choose the type of grape you'll have. Some may |
| upon them, and if these grapes don't get consumed or | | | | have the seedless variety, while others take time to |
| sold, they will rot. It's not a very good thing to greet the | | | | remove the seeds from the grapes before the final |
| New Year surrounded by rotting grapes, not a very | | | | twelve seconds. |
| good omen. | | | | Historically, it was the tower clock on Puerto Del Sol in |
| So, somebody, I guess, raised his hand on one of | | | | Madrid that signaled the coming of the New Year and |
| those town meetings and said, "Why don't we compel | | | | rang that last twelve seconds. Today, this event is |
| everyone to eat the grapes? We'll ask people to eat | | | | done via television. There'll be TV coverage, the usual |
| one grape every time we strike the church bell." | | | | festivities, and Spanish flags everywhere. |
| "That's great," someone must have said. "And since | | | | So, the bell rings, you take one grape in, and you make |
| the New Year is almost here, we'll strike the bell in | | | | a wish. This is kind of hard considering that you get to |
| unison with the year's last 12 seconds." | | | | do all these chewing and wishing in a span of a |
| "Good idea," said the original wise guy. "And what | | | | second. |