On December 31st, New Year’s celebrations around the globe honored the closing of 2014 and the beginning of the upcoming New Year. Year-end customs broke out at the stroke of midnight and for many, the celebrations were accompanied by a colorful assortment of foods believed to bring luck and prosperity. Consider indulging in one of these foods this year to ensure 2015 is full of health, wealth, and happiness.
Round Fruits
Consuming round fruits is a common New Year’s tradition with ties to multiple cultures around the world. The shape signifies coins, which is believed to aid in gaining fortune in the New Year; the fruit itself represents a fertile future. In Filipino culture, thirteen round fruits are gathered and consumed to ensure a wonderful year ahead. Tangerines, cantaloupe, pomelo and watermelon are other popular round fruits consumed throughout the year.
Lentils
Italians are known for boisterous celebrations, and their New Year's parties are no exception. Lentils are the star of many Italian dinner tables, and have become increasingly common at family gatherings. The legumes symbolize coins and monetary gain, and plumping during the cooking process is linked to swelling wealth throughout the New Year. Jewish tradition also affiliates lentils with prosperity.
Whole fish
A whole fish often signifies good fortune in the New Year, and is heavily rooted in Chinese culture. Though the Chinese New Year differs from the Gregorian calendar, the tradition carries over. The Chinese word for fish (yu) sounds similar to the word for riches and abundance, and represents swimming on. Other parts of the world also use fish a centerpiece for their New Year’s meals. German and Polish cultures serve herring, and Americans in the northwest United States often serve a whole salmon, all in hopes of bringing luck to those who partake.
Greens
Greens are a trademark dish for southerners on New Year’s Day. They represent wealth through their flat, green leaves and are meant to be reminiscent of American money. Commonly used greens include collard, turnip, and mustard greens and are traditionally cooked slowly over low heat and incorporate pork, which is also said to bring luck throughout the New Year.
Pork
While the image of a pink pig may not immediately conjure thoughts of prosperity, a hog has represented wealth and good fortune for hundreds of years. There are a handful of parallels between pork and good fortune, beginning with the pig’s tendency to root forward through the earth, which represents moving on and discovering new things. Pigs are also associated with plumpness and viewed as an ample source of sustenance, further linking delectable pork dishes to good fortune throughout the New Year.
Black-eyed Peas
This particular food is rooted in various folklore and history, commonly known as a dish of good fortune. Black-eyed peas are technically a bean, and often cooked with ham hocks or other pork cuts and used in dishes New Year’s cuisine like Hoppin’ John. The Jewish community reveres the small white bean as a food of good tidings to be eaten during Rosh Hashana, the Jewish New Year, and American southern culture considers black-eyed peas a staple to bring good fortune.
