13 Grapes
I learned this today: there are many traditions to welcome the New Year. This is one I find particularly friendly:
New Year's revelers in Spain consume twelve grapes at midnight — one grape for each stroke of the clock. This dates back to 1909, when grape growers in the Alicante region of Spain initiated the practice to take care of a grape surplus. The idea stuck, spreading to Portugal as well as former Spanish and Portuguese colonies such as Venezuela, Cuba, Mexico, Ecuador, and Peru. Each grape represents a different month, so if for instance the third grape is a bit sour, March might be a rocky month. For most, the goal is to swallow all the grapes before the last stroke of midnight, but Peruvians insist on taking in a 13th grape for good measure.
I'm glad to see the back of 2006, a very lousy year. I'll welcome our next calendar year with 13 grapes.