What to Eat on New Year’s Eve for Good Luck
What to Eat on New Year’s for Good Luck
Around the world, various cultures have their own culinary New Year’s traditions and superstitions. The foods that are involved in these traditions are typically local to the region and are eaten because of their symbolic connection to desired outcomes for the upcoming year. Whether it be to bring in good luck, prosperity, longevity, or abundance, here’s a look at some New Year’s cuisines that are enjoyed around the world and the meaning behind them.
New Year’s Day in the South: “Hoppin’ John”
The traditional meal on New Year’s day in the Southern United States is a dish called “Hoppin’ John,” which includes black-eyed peas, collard greens, and cornbread. “Peas for pennies, greens for dollars, and cornbread for gold,” the saying goes, each food representing a different form of currency. Eating this meal on New Year’s Day is believed to bring abundance and good fortune, specifically financially!
Learn more about traditional Southern New Year’s cuisine, its origin, and its symbolism.
Soba Noodles on New Year’s Eve
In Japan soba (buckwheat noodles) are eaten to summon the strength and resilience of the buckwheat crop in the new year. Slurping the long noodles without breaking or chewing them is key in obtaining the good fortune the meal brings, as the long noodles represent a long life. This traditional dish is quite simple, healthy, and easy to make–a commonly accessible meal symbolizing starting the year off with a clean slate. This is one of the oldest New Year’s food traditions in the world, stretching back all the way to around the 13th century!
Pomegranate Seeds
Round like coins, symbolic of fertility and abundance, and in-season around the holidays in many global locations, pomegranates are a popular New Year’s food in the Middle East and beyond.
Pork
This meat is rich in fat, which has long signified abundance and prosperity. Pigs also are forward rooting, never going backward. For these reasons, many Germans eat pork and sauerkraut on New Years.
For more New Year’s cuisine ideas or to shop for your favorite holiday foods, come on into the store and let our HarvesTime Foods staff assist you!
