It’s time to start planning your New Year 2024 celebrations!
New Year’s Eve is a time many people travel to celebrate and make the most of the holiday season. If you’re looking for the best places to celebrate New Year’s Eve in Spain, you’re in the right place!
We’ve spent the last few years travelling around Europe and alongside a NYE in Paris, we’ve spent a couple in various parts of Spain too! So this week, we’re going to take you through the best places to celebrate and share some of the unique Spanish New Year’s Eve traditions too!
NYE Spanish Traditions
Nochevieja, or the Old Night, is a night full of traditional celebrations across the country.
For us personally, we’ve spent many years celebrating in rural Spain where the streets stay quiet until it’s almost midnight before they come bursting to life.
Whereas in the city and tourist towns you can expect the streets to be buzzing with life for the entire day of December 31st and celebrating with huge events in a similar way to what you’re used to at home!
Here are some of the most unique New Year’s Eve traditions in Spain so you know what to expect, and if you’re travelling around Easter and want to experience more unique Spanish traditions, La Semana Santa is an event you can’t miss!
Los Cuartos
Los Cuartos are the bells, or fireworks, that mark the run up to midnight. It can be confusing, and has caught us out a couple of times, but when you first hear chimes or fireworks do not start celebrating… This is just a warm up letting you know to get ready for your first Spanish tradition. Think of it like the orange traffic light.
Twelve Lucky Grapes (as doce uvas de la suerte)
We first experienced the lucky twelve grapes Spanish tradition in 2015 and let me warn you, as a newbie to celebrating New Year’s Eve in Spain, you might struggle with this one!
As doce uvas de la suerte (12 lucky grapes) is a ritual of eating grapes to the twelve chimes of midnigh, supposedly representing each month of the year. The Spanish are well versed with this but as a clumsy tourist or expat, it can take some getting used to… especially when they use seeded grapes!
This New Year’s Eve Tradition originated in 1909, when Vinalopó grape producers in Alicante promoted consumption of the fruit due to overproduction.
There are records of higher classes celebrating with 12 lucky grapes as far back as the 1890’s but it wasn’t until grape prices dropped considerably that it became a household tradition amongst other classes.
Starting The Year On The Right Foot
What better way to make sure the upcoming year is going to be a good one, than starting on the right foot. Literally.
If you want the year to be a lucky one, your first step after midnight must be with the right foot.
In the rural village where we celebrate, everyone stands on their left leg inorder to make sure their first step is lucky.
However, other parts of Spain suggest it’s your first step out of your house on New Year’s Day that is the lucky one.
Either way. Your right foot is an important part of New Years celebrations in Spain.
Lucky Red Underwear
Is your New Year’s Resolution about finding love? If so, you’ll want to make sure you’re wearing some lucky red underwear on NYE in Spain.
Like most Spanish traditions, this one has a few nuances depending on where you’re celebrating.
In some areas of Spain, your lucky red underwear must be a gift inorder to work. In others, you must give the underwear away if you want to be lucky in love in the new year.
If you travelled to Spain without your red underwear, don’t panic! You’ll be able to find plenty on the run up to the big evening as most stores will stock it especially for New Year’s Eve!
Toasting With Cava & Gold
Bring luck and good fortune to your new year with this Spanish tradition of drinking a glass of cava with something gold inside. Most people use a gold coin but you could use a gold ring too!
To collect your fortune, you have to drink the whole glass after the chimes to retrieve your lucky charm from the bottom of your glass.
New Years Eve at Puerta del Sol
By Taylor of Culture Craving Couple
December is one of the best months to go to Madrid because New Year's Eve in Puerta Del Sol is an iconic celebration, known as one of THE places to celebrate New Year's Eve worldwide!
So much so that they actually have a practice run in the square on December 30th, so you can see the festivities twice if you want!
On New Year's Eve, thousands of locals and tourists go to the centre of Spain in Kilometre Zero to ring in the new year.
They have their bags of grapes and bottles of cava in hand, as long as they are the Spanish drinking age, of course!
You can almost feel the buzz build as you wait around the crowd gathering around the Real Casa de Correos clock, waiting for the ball to drop and the clock to chime, marking the beginning of a new year.
You'll see everyone getting to the square by around 9pm to claim their spot with a picnic blanket armed with all their goodies. Some people even bring balloons to release at midnight, some with banners attached with wishes for the New Year.
Once the ball starts dropping, you'll hear 12 warning chimes, basically your heads up to say, "Hey, get those grapes ready!" Once the clock rings 12 chimes and the year turns over, people eat their 12 grapes, pop the bottles of cava, and celebrate with hugs, kisses, and an overall sense of happiness - it's a complete blast to be there!
Celebrating NYE in Puerta Del Sol isn't just something to do. Still, it also allows you to experience Madrid's lively spirit where everyone, regardless of being alone or with friends, can feel like part of the community.
It is time to party from the square, and the night goes late, just like most evenings in Spain!
New Years Eve In Seville
If you want a quieter New Year’s Eve in Spain, then celebrating in Seville might be a good option!
Unlike many other cities around the world, bars and restaurants will start to close in the early afternoon to allow staff the time to celebrate with their families and join in with the local traditions.
Here everyone gathers in Plaza Nueva, in front of the big clock, just prior to midnight with 12 grapes and once the chimes and fireworks have finished, everyone goes home to enjoy fresh Churros and hot chocolate with friends and family. However, if you did want to party, there’s usually one or two bars open or, you could stay at a hotel that is hosting one of their own!
Some key things to do in Seville on New Year’s Eve, and NYE day include:
New Year's Eve In Barcelona
By Vanessa From Traveling Cats
When people ask me about my favorite New Year's Eve memories, Barcelona invariably tops the list. There's an abundance of activities to partake in, but you can also just stroll through the city center to soak up the festive ambiance. Here are a few highlights from my New Year's Eve experience in Barcelona:
I always like to end the year on a compassionate note by helping animals. If you want to do the same, you might want to consider visiting one of Barcelona's cat cafés in the early evening. At first glance, they look like regular cafés where you can get a hot drink and a snack, except that the place is teeming with cats, all of which are available for adoption. Even if you don't decide to adopt, your patronage directly supports the care of these cats until they find permanent homes. It's a rewarding way to wrap up the year positively. To know which ones to visit, check out this list of all the cat cafés in Spain, including several in Barcelona.
For dinner, my partner and I went to 7 Portes, one of Barcelona's oldest and most iconic restaurants. Located in the El Born district, it has been serving customers since 1836. The restaurant is famous for its traditional Catalan cuisine, especially seafood paella and classic dishes like grilled meats and shellfish. Its distinctive decor and charming atmosphere attract both locals and tourists seeking an authentic dining experience in Barcelona. Be sure to book 7 Portes in advance as the wait time for walk-ins can be excessively long, often extending outside for the entire evening. Additionally, advise the staff to pace the meal, as they tend to serve courses quickly to accommodate the waiting crowd.
After leaving 7 Portes, we headed to the Barrio Alto to soak in the festive atmosphere and to enjoy the beautiful architecture and then to Plaça de Catalunya for the fireworks and street performances.
And why not join the locals in traditions like eating twelve grapes at midnight for good luck?
Do you plan to visit Spain for New Year? We'd love to hear your thoughts about the Spanish NYE traditions that you experience while celebrating! Let us know in the comments, or join the discussion on our Facebook group!
