Spanish New Year

1. Take the siesta in the afternoon. You'll need this for the long night ahead.
2. Cook a large meal and invite all your family. Lamb and shrimp are popular.
3. As the stroke of midnight approaches, take twelve grapes each and put the television on.
4. A few seconds before midnight, the bells of the town hall in Puerta del Sol in Madrid will play a little melody. This is not the new year bells, so be patient.
5. Once the little melody is over, the actual chimes will start - they'll sound all dramatic and new year-y, so you'll recognise it. At this point, eat one grape for every chime. This amounts to 12 grapes in 12 seconds, so be prepared to have a mouth full of grapes at the end of it!
6. Open the bottle of cava and take a glass each! Happy New Year!
7. At around 1am, the bars will start to open and those who still have energy will kiss goodbye to their families and embark on a night out with friends. Last man standing will have a very good year!

Common Mistakes

• Don't expect to find a bar open at midnight. There may be one or two, but the stroke of midnight is traditionally celebrated at home.
• Don't think the little melody before midnight is the start of the new year. You have a few seconds left to wait!
• Don't expect to finish the grapes before the next bong! Just put the next grape in and chew at the end. A missed grape is a month of bad luck.