All around the world, people from different cultures indulge in various foods that are believed to bring good fortune and prosperity in the New Year. Noodles
In many Asian countries, noodles are traditionally eaten on New Year’s Day. Long noodles are meant to symbolize a long life. One caveat though, you can’t break the noodle. So the trick to ensure a long life, you must slurp the noodle without breaking it before you get it in your mouth.
Pork
Pork is served all around the world on the first of January. There are two different beliefs as to why pork is considered good luck. One is that they symbolize progress since they push themselves forward as they look for food in the ground. Second, due to their plump physique and high fat content, pigs are considered a symbol of prosperity and abundance.
Fruit
In Mediterranean countries, pomegranates are ingested for luck in the coming year. Pomegranates symbolize abundance and fertility. Their color and seed shape also denote money and prosperity.
In China, revelers welcome the New Year with citrus fruit. Oranges stand for wealth. Tangerines are a symbol of good luck. On a side note, the Chinese New Year falls on January 26, this year, the first day of the first lunar month.
In Mexico and South American countries, celebrants great the New Year by ingesting 12 grapes at the stroke of midnight. Each of the 12 grapes represents a month of the coming year. If a grape is sweet, the month will be good. If a grape is sour, the month will be bad.
Beans
Because of their round shape, beans represent money (coins) and prosperity as well as the cycle of a year ending. Black-eyed peas are a common good luck food in the United State’s South. In Japan, they consume red and black beans. Lentils are chosen for the first day of the New Year in Italy and Brazil. Moreover, chickpeas are a commonplace staple in Italy and southern France.
Fish
Fish, like pigs, are associated with progress and prosperity because they move forward. Moreover, since fish typically move in a large number, school, they are believed to symbolize abundance. Fish are typically consumed in Asia, Europe, and North America on the first day of the New Year. In addition, shrimp, a shellfish, are commonly eaten in Japan. The curve of the shrimp resembles the hunched back of an elderly person, so they signify longevity.
Cabbage
Cabbages have long been eaten for prosperity and money. In places such as Ireland, Germany, and the United States, cabbage is associated with luck and money because of their color. The green color represents money, more specifically paper money. And it is believed that eating money will bring you money.
What Not To Eat
Now that we’ve covered what foods are considered good luck, it’s important to note that some foods are considered bad luck and should be avoided on the first of the year. White colored foods are to be avoided in Chinese cultures since while is the color of death. Thus the Chinese keep away from tofu, eggs, and anything else white.
In many cultures, eating anything with wings is to be evades. Wings are considered unlucky because it could fly away with all your luck. So chicken is out of the question. But in addition to having wings, chicken are bad luck because of the way they move. Unlike the pig or fish that move forward, the chicken scratches backwards. Along the same line, lobsters are a no-no since they swim backwards. The backward motions may lead to setbacks in the coming year.
And last, but not least, an unlucky move that you can do, which might counter to what you’re mother has always told you, is to clean you plate. Numerous cultures believe that leaving a little food on your plate on New Years will bring a bountiful and abundance year.
