Red Panties for Sale in Sant Cugat | 2009
Dinner plans. Check. Cava. Check. Red panties and twelve grapes. Check.
Red underwear and grapes? Just what kind of New Year's Eve celebration is this? Nothing naughty, just the typical preparations a Spaniard makes for New Year's Eve.
For the past week, all the lingerie shops and underwear market stalls have displayed red underwear in preparation for a Spanish New Year's Eve tradition. With supposed roots in the medieval taboo of wearing red, Spanish continue to wear red panties on New Year's Eve as a symbol of life during winter. Really, what better symbolizes life than red undies? Well, at least it can symbolize its beginnings! And based by the amount of red underwear, from thongs and bikinis to granny briefs, I'd say that many Spanish women take part in this fun tradition.
Martha Stewart's Las Uvas de La Suerte
Another fun Spanish New Year's Eve tradition is Las Uvas de La Suerte, the grapes of good luck. At the stroke of midnight, one must eat a grape for each chime of the bell. Each grape equals one month of good luck in the new year. It sounds a lot easier than it is in reality. Those chimes come fast. Last year, I was barely able to eat all twelve grapes. My year went fairly well, except for a little stress at the end of the year. Damn that half eaten twelfth grape. This year, I bought smaller grapes!
Happy New Year! ¡Bon Any Nou! ¡Feliz Año Nuevo!
