Celebrating New Year in The Canary Islands

On New Year's Eve, Nochevieja (which translates better to Old Year's Night), or San Silvestre as it is called in Spain, celebrations revolve around the eating of the grapes at midnight.

The idea is to eat 12 "lucky" grapes (Uvas de la Suerte), one grape on each stroke of the clock - all suitably and necessarily (it is extremely difficult to do) washed down with Cava: Spanish bubbly - a tradition that is believed to come from ancient wine-growers.

The New Year is heralded in Spain via the twelve chimes from the Puerta del Sol in Madrid: an hour later in the Canaries (actually, the same time as the UK) (Twice on TV, depending which channel you watch!) with those of the Cabildo (Island Corporation) in Santa Cruz in Tenerife or their counterpart in Las Palmas de Gran Canaria.

The two locations take it in turns and, this year, it's Gran Canaria's turn to say adios to 2005 and welcome in 2006, which will be televised from the historic and emblematic Gabinete Literario.

New Year's Eve is a night for going out. After the chimes, there will usually be fireworks and in many places, there will be a Verbena: all-night street-party with dancing to a Salsa band or a disco.

The custom at New Year is to wear your very best, new clothes.

In Santa Cruz, the Plaza de España will be packed with people and atmosphere if you're looking for fun, as will the church square in Los Cristianos, if you happen to be in the south.

But most large and even small towns have New Years' parties. In Garachico, we've danced to an open air disco (yeah, Jan 1 in the open air, at night, te he) in the town square in front of the bandstand and watched the fireworks set off from the Town Hall roof. There were "party bags" (consisting of the obligatory silly hat, noise makers and packet of grapes) laid on for anyone who turned up. And you get to keep company with the big fish in these small ponds, as the Mayor of Garachico was host.