Try these New Year’s food traditions for a dash of good luck
A new year. New resolutions. New hopes and wishes for the future. At this time of year, many Americans are readying their pots for Hoppin’ John or black-eyed peas and greens, but did you know there are dozens of other foods that are said to bring good luck in the new year? Stack the odds in your favor with this menu of traditional good-luck foods from around the world.
Inspired? Create and share by tagging @hallmarkstores.
Grape fortune
Begin your gathering with a simple plate of grapes and cheese to get the good luck going. “The 12 Grapes of Luck” is a Spanish tradition that has migrated to Latin American countries and the Philippines. At the stroke of midnight, the tradition calls for celebrants to eat a grape at each stroke of the church bell, one for each month of the past year.
Lentil salad
In North and South America, Europe and Asia, lentils and other beans are thought to bring prosperity because they resemble coins, and they swell when cooked. This Lentil Salad with sweet berries will get the year off to a sweet start.
Simple herbed salmon
Fish has been a feast food since the Middle Ages because it’s easy to preserve by salting and drying. And fish are considered lucky in Asia because they’re always moving forward. So it’s a natural choice for a New Year’s feast. This Simple Herbed Salmon is easy as well as lucky—it uses just a few ingredients and bakes in less than 15 minutes.
Tomato-glazed stuffed pork loin
Pork, because of its high proportion of fat, is considered lucky in many countries, such as China and Italy. Our Tomato-Glazed Stuffed Pork Loin provides lots of immunity-building nutrients—vitamin B6, vitamin C, zinc, selenium and antioxidants—to keep you healthy and lucky throughout the new year.
Broccoli-spinach lasagna
Greens were once considered a symbol of paper money, leading people around the world to feast on New Year’s greens, from spinach to cabbage to our American mustard greens. Additionally, lasagna is traditionally eaten for good luck at Italian New Year’s celebrations. So bring our Broccoli-Spinach Lasagna to the table and raise a glass to a cash-filled year.
Ringing desserts
Ring-shaped desserts have a special place at New Year’s celebrations. They symbolize wealth and prosperity. The Dutch believe that circles are a symbol of success and have a tradition of making and eating donuts each year. And in Greece, cakes are baked each year with a coin hidden inside. The finder of the coin is blessed with luck throughout the coming year. Try these donut and mini Bundt cake recipes to add more circles (and more luck) to your table.
You may also like
See more-
Winter What is Lunar New Year?: Shining a light on a celebration shared by billions
Lunar New Year is celebrated by an estimated 2 billion people around the world. It’s a holiday that marks the arrival...
-
Hanukkah What Is Hanukkah?: Sharing in the spirit of a joyous Jewish holiday
Hanukkah is a time for celebrations that thrive in food, family, friends and faith. But with Jewish culture being so ...
-
Fall What is Rosh Hashanah?
Jewish New Year is the most important and widely celebrated of all Jewish holidays. The origin of Jewish New Year ...
-
Arts, Crafts & DIY Día de Muertos crafts to celebrate with family
The sweet smell of pan de muerto baking, colorful decorations and pictures selected with care, special memories being...
-
Father's Day An ode to dad mugs: Musings on missing out on one of the best Father's Day gifts
I think coffee is gross. I think tea tastes like water dreaming about what it would feel like to have flavor. I only ...
-
Mother's Day Mother's Day without Mom: Remembering lost loved ones with new traditions
This Mother’s Day will be my third without my mom. She died just before Thanksgiving and Christmas in 2020, which mad...
-
Mother's Day Mother’s Day traditions to start this year
There are infinite ways to celebrate your special lady on Mother’s Day: A self-care spa outing, dinner at her favorit...
-
New Year's Why New Year’s is the Perfect Time to Update Your Address Book
You know those little lifestyle or organization tips that you hear about and you’re like, “That’s so simple—why didn’...
-
New Year's Guilt-Free New Year's Resolutions
“New Year’s resolutions.” To some, those words are filled with pure possibility...an invitation to start anew, comple...
-
New Year's New Year's Resolution Ideas for Groups
New Year’s resolutions are pretty lonely deals. It’s just you and that thing you have to live up to. Ack! No wonde...
-
Christmas A Christmas tribute: meaningful ways to weave memories of lost loved ones into new holiday traditions
For many of us, Christmas is the time of year when we miss our lost loved ones the most. Finding ways to memoriali...
-
Card Ideas Make Your Christmas Letter Memorable with a Video Greeting
Just about everyone loves a good holiday tradition. Decorating the tree? Yes. Eating piles of Christmas treats? Oh, h...
-
Fall Día de Muertos: A celebration of life and love
Día de Muertos, Day of the Dead, is a holiday originally celebrated in the southern and central parts of Mexico and i...
-
Thanksgiving The History of Thanksgiving and Alternative Ideas for Celebrating Gratitude
Many of us in the United States have celebrated Thanksgiving through the years without knowing its origins, perhaps h...
-
Fall How to write literary calaveras for Día de Muertos
You’ve made your ofrenda (altar), hung your papel picado (paper banners), and decorated your calaveras de azúcar (sug...
-
Fall What Is Diwali?: Five Days of Celebrating Peace and Light
Diwali, also called Deepavali, is known as the Festival of Lights. Filled with joy and incredibly family-oriented, it...
-
Summer What is Raksha Bandhan?
Sisters share a special bond with their brothers—one of love and care. And that’s what the South Asian holiday Raksha...
-
Summer What is Eid al-Adha?: How Muslims Honor Devotion and Celebrate Community
As an observance of great sacrifice as well as an opportunity for strengthening the bonds of community, Eid al-Adha i...
-
Summer Ways to Celebrate Juneteenth
While Juneteenth was officially recognized as a federal holiday in 2021, this pivotal moment in history has been cele...
-
Father's Day 40+ Father’s Day activities that don’t involve BBQ
We all know how the stereotypical dad celebrates Father’s Day. But what if your dad isn’t stereotypical? What if he d...