2013 Ends With Tamales- 2014 Begins Grapes!

The best part about travelling is without a doubt all the amazing people you get to meet along the way.  When you are expatriated, you don't just meet the locals.  You meet people from everywhere.  This year for the New Year, my Mexican American friend invited me over to experience his New Year’s tradition.  It was great!!!

It started with making tamales...homemade tamales.  I had never had one before.  His mom spent the day working really hard in the kitchen.  We started the evening with everyone gathered around the table and spreading the masa paste onto the corn husks while sipping on sangria.  His sister and his friend would tell me about their trips to Mexico and where they would like to travel.  They tell me about what it's like to live in LA. All his while hearing different types of music and words being thrown around in English, Spanish and French.  Now that's what travelling is really about. It's more than seeing museums and historical sites.  It's about learning the real up close and personal life stories of the people.

 Before the clock struck 12, we headed to Plaza del Sol to experience the countdown as a Madrileno would. I don't like to throw myself into the middle of a crowd but I decided to take part in the tradition this year to really live what Madrid is about.  There were no fancy fireworks or crazy concerts. There were  no elaborate special effects of any kind!!! This is precisely why this New Year’s was so special.  There were literally thousands of people singing laughing and wearing funny glasses.   The simplicity of this event is what made it so extraordinary.  People were happy and excited and that was so contagious.  It was all that was needed.  The clock turns, surrounded by friends and family, we start chomping downs on the grapes with seeds. All of us trying not to choke as our mouths get fuller.  There is no way to chew and swallow in 12 seconds, but we are mostly trying not choke because we are laughing.  The tradition of eating twelve grapes on new year's originated in Plaza del Sol in 1895 and is meant to lead to a year of prosperity. (There was an excellent harvest that year and there were simply too many grapes!)

 I am really happy not to have seen fireworks this New Year’s!!!! That would have been the same old thing.  I am excited to have been introduced to 2014 like no other year... making homemade Mexican tamales and celebrating el Ano Nuevo in true Madrileno style!!! The little things really mean a lot.