Foods That Bring Luck for The New Year

Holiday traditions often surround three things: food, friends, and family. But naturally, holiday foods bring a lot of us to the table. Winter holidays come with their own unique menus. But what about New Year’s Eve?

If you’re looking for foods that bring luck, look no further! We did the research (and the menu planning) to ensure your holiday is full!

Collard Greens and Black-Eyes Peas

A tradition in the south, those who are superstitious will eat collard greens and black-eyed peas in some form for the New Year’s holiday. According to food researcher John Egerton, black-eyed peas supposedly bring good luck while collard greens will bring a financially prosperous new year.

Cornbread

Still borrowing from our friends down south, eating cornbread is supposed to bring wealth into the new year. The saying goes, “peas for pennies, greens for dollars, and cornbread for gold.”

Soba

We’re going to travel, just a bit, to Japan to enjoy a delicious bowl of soba. The noodles are made of buckwheat and originate back 800 years in the Kamakura period by the Buddhists. The legend explains the Buddhists would give soba to poor people on New Years to break off the year and bring good fortune.

Grapes

Maybe noodles aren’t your thing. No worries, take a note from Spain and enjoy 12 grapes at midnight. The tradition symbolizes that the new 12 months will be prosperous and lucky. However, you need to eat all 12 before the end of the bell’s toll or you won’t have good luck.

Pork and Sauerkraut

The Pennsylvania Dutch believed that eating pork and sauerkraut brings good luck and good fortune for the new year. Tradition is that since pigs root forward, we eat the pork to move forward in the upcoming months.

Ring-Shaped Cake

Life comes full circle. And so do these delicious cakes. Sometimes baked with items inside, the round cakes marked the end of the year with good luck to those who find a gold coin inside his or her slice.

Fish

The scales of fish are thought to resemble coins and since fish swim in large schools, the idea of eating fish on New Year’s Eve is believed to bring abundance and progress into the new year.

Pomegranate

Ah, the Greeks have fun and lively traditions. At the stroke of midnight, a Greek family may throw a pomegranate at their front door. The more seeds that come out, the more fertile and lucky you’ll be.

Bring in the New Year with Holiday Foods at The Beaumont Inn!

Had enough holiday cooking? Have your New Year’s Eve celebration at the Beaumont Inn. Our menu features some of The Beaumont’s classic dishes, plus a few special dishes. Reserve your table today!