In Victor's opinion, spending the rest of Christmas in Barcelona had been the best idea Chris had had since he learnt how to pole dance. Celebrating New Year the way Spaniards did... not so much. But there they were: Yuri, Victor, Phichit and Chris in the later´s hotel room, watching on TV a man in a cape and a blond woman rambling on in Spanish from a balcony in Puerta del Sol. Yuri had not seen a place so crowded since Tokyo Shinjuku a Monday morning. Four elegant coups with twelve grapes each were waiting in the table next to four more, filled with champagne. Two minutes until midnight and Phichit still did not quite get what they were supposed to do.
"... And don't eat it. After they end, the bells will stroke twelve times, and with each, you eat one grape".
"OK! I got this!"
Finally the woman (as far as Phichit's Spanish let him understand, she was a famous TV presenter), closed her mouth. A soft "claclang" could be heard and Yuri and Phichit grabbed the first grape.
"¡Aún no!"* Shouted the man with a loud, happy voice. Yuri did not speak a single word of Spanish, but he somehow understood that. It went on three more times and finally a huge iron ball in the clock began falling. For a few seconds, they remained quiet, until finally... "CLANG"
"Now!" Announced Chris. They ate the first grape. "Clang... clang..." The first one to fall was Victor with the sixth one. He coughed a little, but kept eating more slowly. With the tenth stroke, Phichit choked and had to spit it. Yuri managed to finish coughing madly, and Chris was the only one who could eat them safely. "¡FELIS ANIO NUEVO!" Claimed Victor. He hugged Phichit (the one nearest him) and then Chris. Finally, he kissed Yuri deeply while hearing the sound of the fireworks that could be seen by the window, ignoring the flash of Phichit's camera and Chris' "GET A ROOM!". After taking the obligatory selfie and immediately posting it, Phichit made the question on everyone's mind. "How did you manage to eat them all?" Had he known the answer, he would have had second thoughts about asking it: "I've had bigger things stuffed in my mouth". They all laughed.
"Well now" added Chris. "Let´s go to that party!"
*Aún no: Not yet.
So yeah, that´s Spanish traditions for you: more than celebrating, it seems we don´t want to make it until next year. But it´s fun, I swear.