New Year’s Day symbolizes a new beginning with new prospects. It offers an opportunity to get rid of the bad things in the past and pray for good things to happen in the coming year.

It is common to see people practice different customs and stick to different beliefs with the objective of inviting good fortune every year.

Some people believe that eating variety of foods can brighten up their future and hence they continue this tradition year after year. Find out the list of lucky foods for the New Year’s Day that will not only supplement your meal but also might bring in good luck for the upcoming year.

Grapes
Consuming grapes is considered to bring in good fortune in many parts of the world. People in Spain consume twelve grapes –one for each stroke of the clock at midnight to welcome the New Year. The origin of this custom of eating grapes can be traced back to 1909 when the practice of eating grapes on New Year’s Eve was introduced by the grape owners in the Alicante region of Spain to make use of the surplus grapes.

This New Year ritual of eating grapes soon spread to others parts such as Venezuela, Portugal, Cuba, Mexico, Ecuador and Peru. Each grape consumed represents a month and the objective of people observing this tradition is to eat all the twelve grapes before the stroke of midnight.

 

 

Cooked Greens
People are also seen consuming cooked greens, including collards, cabbage, kale and chard in different parts of the world on New Year’s Day. There is a popular belief consuming more green on the New Year’s Day will increase one’s fortune and bring stability in economic matters in the next year. The green leaves symbolize economic prosperity and good economic fortune because of its look that resembles like folded money.

Green considered as auspicious foods for the New Year’s Day, people in Denmark are seen eating stewed kale with cinnamon and sugar, while locals in the southern United States prefer collards. Sauerkraut (cabbage) is the choice of greens for people in Germany.

Legumes
Another New Year’s custom of eating lucky foods include consumption of legumes, including lentils, peas and beans. Legumes symbolizes money and resembles coin as they swell up while being cooked. Therefore, people in different parts of the world believe that consumption of this lucky New Year’s Day Food will bring financial rewards. Italians prefer to eat green lentils or sausages and cotechino con lenticchie, right after the clock strikes midnight.

In Germany too, people are seen ushering in the New Year by consuming lentil or split pea soup with sausage along with pork. Brazilians cook up lentil soup or rice with lentils as the first meal after the New Year. Sweet black beans, also popularly known with the name of kuro-mame, are largely eaten during the first three days of the New Year in different parts of Japan.

There are several people who believe that consuming even a single pea for everyday in the New Year will bring them good luck. It is a New Year tradition in the Southern United States to consume black-eyed peas or cowpeas, especially in a dish called hoppin’ john.

To go by the legends, peas and legumes were started to be considered as fortune bringing New Year food when a small town of Mississippi- Vicksburg ran out of supply of food and had to resort to black-eyed peas. It is after this incident that consumption of legumes is considered to be lucky.

Pork
People in different countries observe the tradition of eating pork on the New Year’s Day as pig is considered to be a symbol of economic progress. Consumption of roast-suckling pig is a popular custom followed by the people in Cuba, Spain, Portugal, Hungary, and Austria. During the time of the New Year, Austrians also decorate the table with miniature pigs made out of marzipan.

Swedish people and Germans also relish the taste of delightfully made pork items such as roast pork or sausages. Pig’s feet are also enjoyed with great delight by people in different parts of the world on the New Year’s Day. The fat content of pork is considered to bring in good wealth in home and sustain prosperity throughout the year and it for this simple reason that people in the US, Italy, Germany, Sweden and others consume it.

Fish
Fish is a preferred choice of food for many people on New Year’s Day. Recipes made out of fish are dominant on the table laid out to welcome the New Year. People feast on fish on the eve of the New Year with the popular belief that it will bring them good fortune during the upcoming year. In several countries that follow the norms of the Catholic Church forbade the consumption of red meat on religious holidays.

Cod as well as other fish items thus become the top favorite food for New Year’s Day Celebrations. People in Denmark prefer consuming boiled cod, while those in Germany feast on the carp and also put some fish scales in their wallet to bring in economic prosperity throughout the year. A dish called the baccal, or dried salt cod is also popularly eaten in Italy during the New Year’s celebration with the hope of inviting good fortune.

In Sweden, people dig into a wide range of dishes made with fish as it is a lucky food for the New Year’s Day. Japanese feast on smorgasbord of fish dishes, each for different purpose. For example, dried sardines are consumed during New Year for helping in getting good harvest and herring roe is consumed for good fertility.

Cakes
Cakes and other baked goods are considered to be lucky for New Year and hence commonly served around the world. People serve cakes right from Christmas till the New Year when guests visit their house. Consumption of donuts is commonly seen in countries like Poland, Hungary, and the Netherlands during the New Year’s time. Pastries and cakes made with dry fruits and filled with raisins, apples and currants are favorite food for the New Year’s Day

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