Barcelona has been named as one of the top party destinations in the world, and even when it comes to celebrating the New Year, the city doesn’t sleep.
Be it in terms of traditions or partying till the wee hours in the morning, the place is in a league of its own.
So when planning to head abroad to celebrate New Year’s Eve, Barcelona deserves a chance and a mention and in order to help you decide better, we are enumerating for you the various aspects of celebrating New Year’s Eve in the city.
Traditions observed in Barcelona on New Year’s Eve
Traditionally speaking, the custom of eating grapes is quite well known; people go out to Plaza de Catalunya or Las Ramblas and wait for the clock to strike twelve. As the clock ritualistically strikes twelve, twelve times at giant screens in the square, you are supposed to consume one grape for every month of the year, twelve years means twelve grapes, and if you manage to consume the on time, then you shall a year of good luck, prosperity and good cheer. The kinds of which assure you that you will have a really Happy New Year, where your desires and dreams are fulfilled.
The tradition of eating dinner and then partying is quite prevalent too, every party is preceded by a dinner party, only after which does the actual party scenario begin. It is interesting to know that lentils form an important part of the meals on New Year’s Eve as they signify wealth and eating lentils equates to the accumulation of wealth that the New Year has in store.
Some of the best dining options in Barcelona on New Year’s Eve include Passadis del Pep, Can Valles, Petit Comite etc., which are open till late at night, and offer a world class cuisine fair, along with some of the best Catalonian dishes that your palate will ever taste. Special mention can also be made of the W Hotel which offers you’re a fine dining experience and a partying scene later.
Places to be in Barcelona when it’s New Year’s Eve
With the dinners and the ritual grapes eating over with, this is when the party really starts in Barcelona, bottles of free flowing sparkling Cava wine grace the occasion as people get together to party till wee hours of the morning. The energy that you feel on the streets is unbelievable and magnetic. The excitement evident everywhere, it’s difficult to not get carried away. Visiting clubs in Barcelona which has an amazing line-up of party places makes it a great choice. With New Year’s being a really big occasion, there are spectacular parties that are held all across the city. If clubbing is your scene then big names like Razzmatazz, Moog, Nitsa and Shoko, which vary in style and ambience, are the perfect way to party in style.
While Razzmatazz offers you the best choice when in a large group, Nitsa and Moog will offer you the hard-core dancing experience, on the other hand Shoko is perfect for the beach side location and it also offers dining privileges.
You will find the locals dressed up in snazzy costumes, gathering up in the plaza and squares, as the city bars flock up, the electrifying atmosphere is sure to take control over you and you will find yourself swaying to the music a drink in hand as you party the night away.
If you’re wondering about when the partying really stops, then the answer to that question is that, it doesn’t, one simple parties in Barcelona till they cannot take it anymore. Post the partying syndrome, the perfect way to welcome the New Year morning is a walk by the beach side, as you catch a morning coffee, hot chocolate, breakfast or Churros, while a new day dawns bringing with it a perfect end to the previous year.
The fact that you just partied the night away should not stop you from having more fun as you can spend the rest of your New Year morning in exploring the parks in Barcelona like the Guell Park, which has been designed by Gaudi and is a work of art in itself, and has been deemed fit to be a world heritage site, or you can also visit the Montjuic which is basically a hill which nurses within it a number of tourist attractions like the Spanish village or the fountain known as Magic fountain etc.
No matter what your choice of having fun is, Barcelona can cater to your heart’s desires, so when planning a New Year getaway, give a chance to Barcelona, and have a perfect holiday.