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- New Year festival
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New Yearâs Food Traditions from Around the World
What are some common New Yearâs food traditions around the world?
What is Hoppinâ John, and where is it popular?
What is the significance of eating 12 grapes at midnight in Spain?
What does toshikoshi soba symbolize in Japan?
Why are lentils eaten on New Yearâs Eve in Italy?
The arrival of a new year is welcomed by different cultures in varied ways. It is a time to feast and hope for prosperity, health, and luck. Many food traditions that are followed on this day, such as preparing special dishes, have been passed down through generations.
Read on to learn more.
Hoppinâ JohnâUnited States
Hoppinâ John is a savory dish made from black-eyed peas slowly simmered with rice. It is often flavored with smoked pork and spices. Some common side dishes include collard greens and cornbread. This tradition is prevalent in the southern United States. Some people add a coin to the pot or serve the dish with a coin hidden in the peas. Whoever finds the coin in their bowl is said to enjoy extra good luck in the new year.
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Twelve grapes at midnightâSpain and Latin America
Another interesting tradition is Spainâs las doce uvas de la suerte (Spanish: âthe 12 grapes of luckâ), where it is considered lucky to consume 12 grapes with the 12 strokes of midnight on December 31. These grapes signify the 12 months of the new year. This ritual has spread to many Latin American countries as well. In cities such as Madrid, celebrants crowd public squares with grapes in hand and try to swallow all 12 before the final bell. According to one legend, if a grape happens to be sour, the corresponding month may be less fortunate. If one fails to finish the 12 grapes in time, it is sometimes regarded as an ill omen for the coming year.
Toshikoshi sobaâJapan
New Yearâs Eve in Japan is incomplete without a warm bowl of the traditional Japanese buckwheat noodle dish called toshikoshi sobaâthe name means âyear-crossing buckwheat noodles.â These are long, thin soba noodles served in a broth, often topped with green onions or tempura. The dishâs long noodles signify a wish for long life in the coming year. Buckwheat noodles are fragile and easy to cut, which is interpreted as letting go of the difficulties of the past year.
Cotechino con lenticchieâItaly
A traditional New Yearâs Eve feast in Italy includes a bowl of stewed lentils with slices of cotechino (Italian pork sausage) or zampone (stuffed pigâs trotter) on top. The lentils, which are usually simmered until tender in a broth with onions and carrots, are served right after midnight on New Yearâs Eve.
Pickled herringâScandinavia and Poland
A forkful of pickled herring is traditionally consumed at the beginning of the new year in such countries as Sweden, Norway, and Poland. The small, silvery fish is typically cured in brine and vinegar, often with onions, spices, and sugar. In Scandinavia, pickled herring might be presented on a larger smorgasbord on New Yearâs Eve, while in Poland and parts of Germany, people take a bite from a spoonful of pickled herring at midnight for luck.
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VasilopitaâGreece
As part of New Yearâs celebrations in Greece, families cut into a special sweetbread or cake called vasilopita (St. Basilâs cake). Vasilopita looks like a simple cake, but a coin or trinket is usually baked inside it. Tradition holds that the head of the household cuts into the vasilopita right after midnight on December 31. The first slice is considered to be for Jesus, the next for the Virgin Mary, another for the house (though some households may cut the third slice for St. Basil), and then one for each family member in order of age. The person who finds the coin or trinket is said to have good fortune for the year.
OliebollenâNetherlands
Oliebollen, literally âoil balls,â are fried dough balls enjoyed on New Yearâs Eve in the Netherlands. Oliebollens are small, deep-fried balls of yeasted dough, stuffed with raisins or currants, and dusted with powdered sugar. On New Yearâs Eve, families set out a platter of oliebollen for guests to enjoy while waiting for the midnight fireworks. Eating oliebollen on New Yearâs Eve is believed to ward off evil spirits and bring protection.
Pork and sauerkrautâGermany and Austria
In Germany and Austria a typical New Yearâs Day meal might include slow-cooked pork shoulder or sausages alongside sauerkraut, and some German immigrant communities in the United States also celebrate with sauerkraut. The sauerkraut is usually braised with apples, onions, or juniper berries. Celebrants consume this dish late on December 31 or as the first dinner on January 1. Sauerkraut symbolizes abundance: One saying wishes you as many blessings as there are shreds of cabbage in the kraut. Another tradition is to hand out small pink pig-shaped marzipan candies called Marzipanschwein and GlĂŒcksschwein (pig-shaped charms) for luck.
TamalesâMexico
The arrival of a new year is often celebrated with steaming tamales in Mexico. Tamales are packets of masa (corn dough) filled with meats (such as pork or chicken) or sometimes sweet fillings, wrapped in corn husks or banana leaves, and steamed. Although tamales are eaten throughout the year, they hold special prominence during the holiday season, from Christmas through New Yearâs. On New Yearâs Eve, platters of tamales are served as a part of the late-night feast. The preparation of tamales is a time-consuming process that often brings together families, with each person taking on a roleâfrom preparing the masa to filling and wrappingâturning the labor into shared time that strengthens family bonds and reinforces a sense of togetherness.
Soup joumouâHaiti
For Haiti, January 1 marks the new year and their Independence Day. As part of the celebrations, a pumpkin or squash-based dish called soup joumou is enjoyed. This soup is typically flavored with beef, potatoes, carrots, cabbage, and pasta. The preparation often begins in the early hours of January 1. By midday, the prepared soup is consumed by family and friends. Joumou is a wholesome dish and in 2021 was added to the UNESCO Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity list.
