Food Town Forget Crossing Your Fingers: Try Lucky New Year’s Foods

As we head into a new year, people everywhere find themselves looking for ways to generate a little extra luck. Across the world, families incorporate lucky New Year’s foods into their menus in hopes of starting the year strong. From long noodles to round fruits and good-luck grapes, cultures have created rituals believed to bring blessings for the months to come.

Here, Food Town’s foodies have pulled together some of the world’s most popular lucky New Year’s foods, the meaning behind them and even some festive non-food superstitions you can try at home. Read on to get inspired — and if you’re looking for even more ideas, check out our New Year’s Food Traditions Pinterest board!

New Year’s Lentils & Legumes: Small Beans, Big Prosperity

Tiny but mighty, lentils and legumes have long symbolized wealth and financial prosperity. Their small, coin-like shape makes them a natural match for money-related luck. That’s why Southerners traditionally reach for black-eyed peas on New Year’s Day, often paired with collard greens and cornbread for a full trifecta of good fortune. In Italy, people enjoy cotechino e lenticchie (sausage and lentils), while in Brazil, eating lentils at midnight is believed to usher in abundance.

New Year’s Pork: Forward Progress

Pigs root forward, never backward, making pork a long-standing symbol of progress and growth. From roasted ham to pulled pork and sausage dishes, enjoying pork on New Year’s Day is thought to set the tone for an optimistic, forward-moving year.

In many parts of the United States, especially in regions with German or Pennsylvania Dutch roots, pork is paired with sauerkraut for even more good fortune. This tradition comes from several beliefs:

• Cabbage (and sauerkraut) represents wealth because long, thin cabbage strands resemble paper money. Eating it on New Year’s Day is thought to bring prosperity.
• In some German traditions, sauerkraut is said to bring “as many shreds of luck as there are shreds of cabbage.”

Food Town Tip: Looking for some fun new ways to prepare pork for the new year? Visit our Porky Picks Pinterest board!

New Year’s Lucky Fruits: Grapes for Good Fortune

Across the globe, fruit plays a surprisingly meaningful role in New Year’s celebrations. Different fruits carry different meanings, and many are eaten to bring luck and a fresh start to the year. Here’s a look at just some of fruit’s rich symbolism:

• Spain & Mexico: People eat 12 grapes right as the clock strikes midnight, one for every month to come. (They often make a wish on each grape as they eat it!) It’s believed that this tradition guarantees luck all year long.
• Greece: Pomegranate seeds represent fertility, life and abundance. Some families smash a pomegranate outside their front door for extra blessings.
• Philippines: Round fruits such as mangos, oranges and apples fill the table, symbolizing financial prosperity thanks to their coin-like shape.

New Year’s Greens: Money on the Menu 

Green veggies such as cabbage, spinach, broccoli, mustard greens and collard greens are often associated with money and wealth.Many people say green veggies look like dollar bills, which is why they’re linked to money and good fortune.

• In Denmark, people enjoy kale with cinnamon and sugar for luck.
• In the American South, collard greens cooked with pork remain a classic New Year’s Day staple, meant to bring financial fortune.

New Year’s Fish: A Swimming Start

Fish are often seen as lucky because they swim forward. At the same time, their shiny scales are linked to wealth and abundance.

• In Japan, fish is eaten for prosperity and shrimp is served to promote long life.
• In many cultures, serving a whole fish is a symbolic nod to both the ending of one year and the beginning of a fresh one.

New Year’s Grains: Growth & Strength 

Grains puff up as they cook, which is why many people see them as a symbol of growth and plenty for the new year.

• Across India, rice is used in religious ceremonies to promote positive energy and absorb negativity.
• In Sweden and Finland, rice pudding is served with a hidden almond. Whoever finds it is said to enjoy extra good luck.
• Many Latin American countries celebrate with traditional rice and beans, combining two symbolic ingredients for a double dose of fortune.

New Year’s Noodles: Longevity 

In Chinese and Japanese culture, long noodles represent a long life, but only if you eat them without cutting or breaking them. Slurping is encouraged! Longevity noodles are a popular New Year’s Eve dish because they’re tied to good health, happiness and a long life.

Lucky Traditions Beyond the Dinner Table

Lucky New Year’s foods aren’t the only way people around the world welcome good fortune. Here are a few fun non-food customs:

• Jumping Off Chairs (Denmark): When the clock strikes midnight, people leap into the new year to literally “jump” away from bad luck.
• Suitcases for Travel (Colombia): Want more travel in the coming year? Colombians sometimes run around the block with an empty suitcase at midnight.
• Opening Doors or Windows (Worldwide): Many cultures open doors at midnight to let the old year out and the new one in.
• Smashing Plates (Denmark): This tradition is believed to bring friendship.
• Wearing Red or Polka Dots (Philippines & Latin America): Many people wear redon New Year’s Eve or Day for good luck in love and strong relationships. Wearing polka dots is also popular, especially in the Philippines, because the round shape represents coins and is believed to bring financial prosperity.

Your neighborhood Food Town has everything you need to make New Year’s lucky foods for less! Shop our Produce department and grocery shelves for great prices on fresh fruits, green vegetables, loads of legumes and grains galore! And don’t forget to swing by our Meat department for quality meats cut in-store and plentiful pork selections. Happy New Year, neighbor! We look forward to seeing you soon!

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