Preuvas, a rehearsal for New Year’s Eve
Many people gather in the Puerta del Sol in Madrid. It is night and the cold bites hard. But neither the amount of people nor the low temperatures discourage. At 12 o’clock a few bells begin to ring and each of the attendees eats to the sound of the bells a grap… gummy? Until a moment ago there was no doubt that this scene belonged to New Year’s Eve: the 12 bells of December 31. However, when looking at the calendar, the date is unmistakable: it is December 30 and, actually, tonight is not the night of the grapes, but the ‘preuvas’, or pre-grapes.
The differences with the night that precedes it are not many, but there are some. If you look more closely you might notice some differences in the square beyond the mutation of the grapes in other foods. Most of the attendees are not decked out in elegant costumes. Instead, they wear colorful wigs and beads. In the window of the Real Casa de Correos no journalist or celebrity appears to present the end of the year, nor is it the day on which the celebration appears on all television channels.
Plaza Mayor in Madrid. | Shutterstock
The clock that presides over the Puerta del Sol has more than 150 years. That is why, and because of the importance that has acquired the last night of the year, that for some time has been doing a previous rehearsal before New Year’s Eve, a rehearsal. And, just in case, it is done three times. Twice on November 30 -once at 12 noon and once at 12 midnight- and a last one at noon on November 31, a few hours before the big event. However, by far the test that receives the most visits is the one at night. In fact, this simulation has become a tradition in itself.
For many, the preuvas are an occasion to bid farewell to the year among friends, reserving the 31st for the family. Be that as it may, it is not known exactly when or why this habit began, but rumor has it that it started as a joke among friends. Nowadays, the preuvas fill the Puerta del Sol as much as the grapes. The Sol station is closed to the public and the accesses to the square are also closed. Therefore, you should arrive at least two hours in advance and expect that on that day the center of Madrid will be full to the brim with the intention of enjoying a different New Year’s Eve.
