New Year’s Eve is one of the most exciting and wild celebrations of the year. People young and old gather together and dress up, either in fancy or silly garb, to celebrate the end of this year and the coming of a new one and to focus on new personal goals for the future. In Spain, the people have a very specific way of celebrating New Year’s Eve, and this tradition is something you’ll find in Barcelona as well if you’re here for the end of the year. Today, in this article from ShBarcelona, we want to talk about Spanish New Year’s traditions and where to go in the city to reign in the new year in the best way.
Related article: Spanish and Catalan traditions on New Year’s Eve
Photo via Pixabay
In Spain, there is a deeply-rooted and somewhat unique tradition that takes place New Year’s Eve. Generally, families and friends gather to have a dinner together with fancier foods than just any other meal; signature dishes such Spanish seafood and delicatessen usually make an appearance. After this celebratory dinner, everyone gathers around the TV screen to watch the ringing of the twelve bells sounding out the new year’s countdown. Between glasses of cava and champagne, Spaniards eat a grape for each gong of the twelve countdown bells. Surrounding this tradition is a superstitious belief – if you mess up while eating your twelve grapes, that is, if you don’t finish them in time or choke on one of them between gulps of cava, it is said to reflect directly on how your coming year will go for you. However, if you eat all twelve of your grapes in a pinch, you can congratulate yourself on starting off your year on the right foot. Of course, as with new year’s resolutions, you can always decide on how you want to make your year better, grapes or not.
Related article: Caga Tío – A Catalan Christmas Tradition
Photo via Pixabay
Sometimes, Barceloneses prefer to go out to eat their New Year’s Eve dinner at an elegant restaurant with a festive, delicious menu. The Ciudad Condal has an irresistible offering of activities for this unforgettable night, including parties, the famous consumption of grapes, and following the bells and the countdown at midnight, even more celebratory parties with drinks and music. One place that may be good to check out on this night is Dos Torres, an elegant restaurant in Sarrià with an idyllic garden where you can celebrate the end of the year in glamorous fashion. Another option is CDLC in Barcelona, a fusion food spot that also features an open terrace and chill-out zone, ideal for a cool New Year’s Eve. You can also spend time at Mamarosa Beach, a Mediterranean restaurant alongside Barceloneta beach, just steps from the sand. If you’re interested in a spectacular night, you can always check out the Fin de Año party organized by the Ayuntamiento de Barcelona. This year it will be celebrated at Avenida María Cristina at the foot of the Montjüic Fountain, the Fuente Mágica de Montjuïc. The French company Groupe F will be providing the fireworks at the end of the night, filling the night sky of the Ciudad Condal with an extraordinary pyrotechnics show that will leave you breathless.
What are your plans for New Year’s Eve?
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