Why people eat grapes on New Year’s Eve

Social media is filled with clips of women from last New Year’s Eve hiding under the table and eating grapes — and now it’s been revealed why.

Social media is filled with clips of women from last New Year’s Eve hiding under the table and eating grapes — and now it’s been revealed where the tradition came from.

Content creators are telling their followers that if they want to have luck or prosperity — or even love — in 2025 then they need to eat 12 grapes at the stroke of midnight.

Many social media users have shared their experience with the trend.

Gemma Krissia, who goes by @gklanusga on TikTok, said she ate 12 grapes under a table at the start of 2024. Then, she got engaged.

People are vowing to eat grapes on NYE. Picture: TikTok/@leii.it

Fellow social media user Leinette, who goes by @leii.it on the platform, did the same. She shared photos from the last year cuddled up to her partner as they travelled around.

Meanwhile others said they were “influenced by TikTok” to give it a try as the world transitions to 2025. Another said it “better work” as they planned to take part in the tradition.

The tradition didn’t originate on TikTok — although some say the table aspect is new — it actually dates back to the 19th century. It comes from Spain. The tradition of eating 12 grapes was created by vine growers to boost-year end sales. Now, it’s turned into a beloved tradition, SBS reported.

Cassie, known as @smallbizcassie, garnered more than nine million views on her video about the trend. She “admitted” that the concept of sitting under the table to eat the grapes was “new to her” — but the tradition was not.

“I hadn’t heard that before until it got really popular and was trending on TikTok last year,” she said.

Izzy Dwyer found love after doing it. Picture: TikTok/@iiizzymariee

“And I know that it’s supposed to be meant for romance or love. This is a new variation of the trend I’m not familiar with. But no, you don’t have to sit under the table.”

Izzy Dwyer is a huge advocate of the trend after taking part in 2022 and meeting a boyfriend on Hinge shortly after.

For Ms Dwyer, she said that meant that she found love. She did the trend with two friends but only one was in a relationship. Now, all three are in relationships, she told Metro in 2023.

“I guess you could say it had a 100 per cent success rate,” she said.

“I don’t think [my boyfriend] really believed the grape theory when I told him about it. He thinks it’s a nice idea but I don’t think he believes in it, but I do.”

Originally published as Why people eat grapes on New Year’s Eve