The year is coming to an end, and whether or not you loved it, we can all agree there is always room for improvement. That's why we make New Year's resolutions. We're all aiming for a better year, so we'll take all the extra good luck we can get to achieve that. There are some old traditions that claim there are certain foods to eat on New Year's Day for good luck that people still follow today. Whether or not you believe in it all, these are some delicious foods that you'd want to be eating on New Year's Day, regardless.
A little good luck, whether or not you believe it, never hurt anybody. If you and your family are planning a big New Year's Day feast, you should consider adding any of these nine foods to the menu. Some of these foods are representative of a healthy year, while others are meant to bring wealth. Honestly, I'd eat until my stomach was full to ensure I had a prosperous New Year. Either way, you can't go wrong with eating, so I hope you have a very happy full year, and here's a toast to hoping it is beyond spectacular.
01Black-Eyed Peas
This is a southern tradition my family prepares every year. There are a few backstories on why this is a good luck tradition. Some say it's because black-eyed peas helped southerners survive from starvation during the Civil War, and others say that beans resemble money and are meant to bring good fortune. No matter what you believe, the black-eyed pea is a great dish to serve on New Year's Day, especially with some rice.
02Pork
Pork is considered to be a lucky meat. It comes from the pig being fatty which represents prosperity, so eating pork on New Year's Day is meant to bring you wealth in the new year. A good pork roast is an excellent choice for a New Year's meal, or adding pork to your bowl of black-eyed peas and rice is another yummy option.
03Lentils
In Italy, people eat lentils on New Year's Day because they are meant to bring you wealth and prosperity. The tradition comes from people believing that lentils look like Roman coins, which also goes back to the belief that beans resemble money. So, basically, if it's a food that looks like money, it's probably going to bring you good luck if you eat it.
04Soba Noodles
Noodles are meant to represent living to a ripe age, and in Japan, they eat soba noodles on New Year's Day. There is a challenge that comes with eating soba noodles. If you're able to eat them in one long slurp, that ensures you'll live a good long life.
05Collard Greens
Greens in general are meant to bring good luck in the new year, because you guessed it, they resemble money. Collard greens are a southern tradition for New Year's, because they're meant to bring you good fortune and also are delicious with black-eyed peas. You have a pretty decent meal going on so far with your pork, black-eyed peas, lentils, and now collard greens.
06Grapes
If you're looking for something fruity to eat on New Year's, grapes serve as a tradition that's meant to bring good luck when consumed. The challenge is to eat 12 grapes right when the clock strikes midnight. Each grape signifies a month in the New Year. Beware of any sour grapes, because that particular month on the calendar could be sour as well. Mercury will probably be in retrograde, or something like that.
07Ring-Shaped Food
Ring-shaped foods like bundt cakes or donuts represent the continuous year from beginning to end. I mean, I don't know about you guys, but I don't really need an excuse to eat donuts. If you're telling me they'll bring me good luck, bring it on. I'll take a dozen, please.
08Fish
If you're not into pork, you can totally serve fish for your New Year's meal instead. Fish is a symbol of good luck for many reasons. The scales truly do look like the change you have in your wallet. They also swim together in groups, which signifies a large amount. That's enough reason for me to eat fish on New Year's.
