Blog: December 2025
Welcome the New Year
New Year's Eve will be celebrated in style in Benidorm again this year. The major hotels will host New Year's Eve galas; you can party until the wee hours at Benidorm Palace on December 31st with a special gala dinner, dazzling shows, and live music, or you can choose to celebrate New Year's Eve outdoors. Levante Beach has been a popular gathering place on New Year's Eve for years. Here, people gather to say goodbye to the old year and ring in the new one! The festivities begin around 7 pm and continue well past midnight.
Join in Spanish traditions
Spaniards love traditions, and one tradition that has been honored for over 100 years is eating 12 grapes on New Year's Eve. On New Year's Eve, at the stroke of midnight, the goal is to eat a grape for each chime of the clock. If you succeed, they say, a happy and prosperous New Year is guaranteed.
The tradition of "Las doce uvas de suerte" (The Good Luck Day) dates back to 1909-1910. That year, the village of Viñalopó in the province of Alicante experienced an exceptionally good grape harvest. The locals decided to distribute grapes on New Year's Eve as a symbol of good luck for the following year. A tradition that is still honored today. Try your luck and collect grapes before New Year's Eve to wish everyone a prosperous New Year!
Red is the color of New Year's Eve
Anyone who has been to Spain during the Christmas season may have noticed that Spanish lingerie stores display a relatively large amount of red underwear in December. This isn't just for romance; wearing red underwear has additional significance in Spain and Italy, among other places. Anyone who wears a red set under their clothes on New Year's Eve can count on extra luck the following year. The condition is that the red set was received as a gift.
This tradition also has a long history. In fact, its history dates back to the Middle Ages. Back then, it was forbidden to wear the color red, as it was associated with witchcraft, the devil, and blood. People therefore wore red clothing discreetly under their own clothes, believing that red wasn't the color of evil, but rather symbolized life, especially during the dark winter months.
New Year's Eve at Plaza de Ayuntamiento
On both the afternoons of December 24th and 31st, the Spanish celebrate in the square near the town hall. Starting around 2:00 PM, you can enjoy what the Spanish call "tardeo." There will be DJs and you can savor various (Spanish) delicacies, such as paella, "patatas asadas," and delicious fresh churros.
Did you know…
…the word "tardeo" comes from a combination of tarde and tapeo? "Tarde" literally means afternoon, and "tapeo" refers to Spanish tapas. By combining these two, the trendy Spanish term "tardeo" emerged, which essentially means: enjoying a drink and a snack in the late afternoon. And that's exactly what many Spaniards do on New Year's Eve.
Ring in the new year with a bang!
From around 11:00 PM, the real New Year's Eve party begins at Playa Levante with music and fireworks. Light a sparkler on the beach or stroll to the Balcon Mediterranee for a festive New Year's Eve. However you celebrate, do it right and celebrate with your loved ones!
By the way, do you know why we set off fireworks on New Year's Eve? That too is a centuries-old tradition. By making noise with fireworks, it's believed to banish all negative spirits and allow the new year to be embraced with happiness and warmth. Welcome 2026 in style, and on behalf of the entire team at Siroco-Gemelos 22, we wish you all the best!
And then, after New Year's Eve?
The festivities in Benidorm don't stop there! First of all, you can often enjoy New Year's Eve twice in Benidorm. At 1:00 AM, most Brits celebrate New Year's Eve due to the time difference with the UK. So if you hear a wild party atmosphere somewhere, you know the English are doing it all over again.
Cabalgata de Reyes Magos
The festivities also continue in the days following January 1st, until Epiphany on January 5th. A parade, the Cabalgata de Reyes Magos, is held especially for Epiphany. The parade, with its beautiful floats, usually begins around 6 p.m. at Parque de Elche and then travels along Avenida de los Almendros to Calle Ruzafa, ending at the Plaza de la Navidad and the Julio Iglesias Auditorium. In the square, the Wise Men present their gifts (gold, frankincense, and myrrh) at the nativity scene.
The Cabalgata de Reyes Magos is especially popular with children. While in the Netherlands Sinterklaas and Santa Claus bring presents, in Spain it's the Three Kings. Children are allowed to leave their shoes on the evening of January 5th, often with sweets for the Wise Men and hay for the camels or horses. Everyone who has been good will receive a present in their shoe at night.
On January 6th, all the festivities are over. This is an official holiday, so please be aware that many things will be closed. All nativity scenes, the ice rink, and other Christmas decorations will be taken down. On to the next party!