What foods should you eat for New Year’s?

What foods should you eat for New Year’s?

What foods are lucky?

What foods should you eat for New Year’s?

What foods should you eat for New Year’s?  As this goes to press it is close to dinner time on New Year’s Eve.  The question is just what should you eat on New Year’s Eve and Day to super-size your chances in the year?  Here are a few suggestions:

In the American South, folks eat black-eyed peas or what some call “lucky peas” because they are thought by some to vaguely resemble coins.  The most common method of preparation is to slow cook them with ham hocks or salt port and rice to make a dish called Hoppin’ John.  It is also felt that eating something comparatively humble for your first meal of the New Year will bring you riches in the remainder of the year.  In fact, pork, collard greens and cornbread are always considered to be lucky foods because their colors are similar to money and gold.

Pork is also associated with progress because unlike some other animals like for example,  chickens who scratch behind, pigs put their noses to the ground and plow forward without turning back.  That is another reason why people eat pork because it is perfect for propelling you forward into the New Year.  Additionally, the pig’s fat symbolizes abundance.  Finally, any family who owns a pig ready for slaughter at the end of the year is guaranteed to have good luck in the following year.

Greens such as collards, cabbage and kale are not only the same color as bills but also promote good health.  The more you eat the more money and luck you will have in the year to come.  Germans and residents of Pennsylvania Dutch country enjoy their pork with sauerkraut.  The sourness of this type of pickled cabbage is meant to bring you “a sweet year” in the balance. The long strands of sauerkraut represent a long life.

If you don’t eat pork and still want good luck you can always have fish.  Fish is thought to be lucky because their shiny, silvery scales remind one of coins.  Fish travel in abundant groups.  This represents prosperity.  Fish also swim forward which symbolizes progress.

Eating fruit is generally considered lucky in some cultures.  Specifically, in Portugal, Spain and certain sections of Mexico everyone eats a dozen grapes at the stroke of midnight.  Each grape represents a month of the coming year.  So if by chance, the second grape is sour, February will be a tough month.  If the sixth grape is really sweet then June will be a good month.  Anyone who manages to eat the entire dozen before the clock stops chiming will have extra good luck.

What foods should you eat for New Year’s?

Finally, January 1 is Dutch Doughnut Day.  Eating bagels and doughnuts on New Year’s morn is also considered lucky because the circle-shaped baked goods demonstrate that the year” has come full circle”.  They also remind us that time has no beginning or end.

What foods should you eat for New Year’s?  Anything above is said to do the trick.  Good luck!

(Images courtesy of TrendsImages and Epicurious)