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One more year, the news and social networks have echoed a most peculiar event: in the Granada town of Bérchules, with approximately 700 inhabitants, they celebrate their particular New Year's Eve on the first weekend of August, with a decoration purely Christmas that includes elements such as Santa Claus hats, a parade in which anise and shortbread are distributed, carol songs, a nativity scene contest, the visit of the Three Kings, artificial snow, and of course some bells in which berchuleros and visitors take the twelve grapes.
In short, a Christmas experience condensed into a summer weekend, the climax of which took place at midnight from Saturday, August 5 to Sunday, August 6, with the exclamation of “Happy 2023 and a half”. But where does this curious tradition come from, and why did they start celebrating New Year's Eve in August in this town?
Happy new year or berchules uvas'23 pic.twitter.com/WTB4U0rjXj
—L🦋 (@Luciiavz) August 6, 2023
Origin of tradition
This “New Year's Eve in August” began to be celebrated in the year 1994. It all started because the town suffered a power blackout on the previous New Year's Eve of December 31, which marred their party and prevented them from developing it normally.. For this reason, the berchuleros wanted to remove that thorn by taking that celebration to the following month of August, in an idea that apparently was the initiative of the owner of a local nightclub. The celebration was so well received that since then they have celebrated it every August. In addition, New Year's Eve in August has become an important tourist attraction and has been attracting more and more interest from visitors from other locations, and there are even those who come from other countries to experience this peculiar party..
On Friday there was already a children's party and concerts by pop rock groups, but the big day was Saturday, when more than 7,000 people enjoyed activities such as the traditional parade with a donkey (with the participation of the Three Wise Men), the concert by the Granada-born artist Niño del Albayzín, a flamenco zambomba and the proclamation, which this year was given by the soccer player Alba Pérez and the representative of the Andalusian Emergency Group, Joaquín Martín de Oliva. At midnight, the Plaza de la Constitución was the place to drink the grapes to the sound of the chimes and toast to 2023 and a half.
People celebrating X-Mas and counting down the New-Year in August was an interesting experience. Spain is a blast. Just arrived in Seville, hairdryer heat …
—Vinny. (@viewblaster) August 6, 2023
Although this main weekend of the Bérchules August festivities has already taken place, its programming continues until August 15 with activities such as games and sports championships; Masses in honor of Santo Cristo de la Misericordia, patron saint of Alcútar, a town that belongs to this municipality; and more concerts and parades.