7 recipes for a lucky New Year's Day meal (2024)

FAQs

What are the 7 lucky New Year's food traditions? ›

Many cultures and countries have particular "lucky" foods, and the southern United States is no exception. Greens, pork, and cornbread, as well as black-eyed peas, cowpeas, or beans, are some of the typical symbolic foods served on New Year's Day.

Lobster, cows, and chicken are all considered unlucky animals to eat on New Year's because of how they move. Read on for more foods superstitious people try to avoid on the holiday.

According to Southern lore, you will have good luck for the entire year if you have the traditional New Year's Day supper. In the South, that means a meal of collard greens, hoppin' John, black-eyed peas, cornbread, and pot likker soup.

Greens, Black-Eyed Peas, Cornbread, and Ham | Photo by Meredith. You may not be superstitious, but why tempt fate? Dig into these traditional lucky foods on New Year's Day to attract abundance and prosperity in the year ahead.

White Foods

Tofu, eggs, rice, cauliflower, white cheeses—say goodbye to them for the night. Instead, fill your New Year's table with other colorful foods. Greens of all kinds are said to bring wealth into your life, while anything yellow (think cornbread or lemon curd) is supposed to foretell prosperity and happiness.

This eastern European tradition of eating cabbage on New Year's—either as a dish or as cabbage rolls—is meant to signify luck, particularly on the financial side of things. People who eat cabbage on New Year's believe that it'll help them make more money in the year ahead.

In the South-East United States, eating black eyed-peas for dinner on New Year's day is supposed to be lucky. Sometimes Americans say you should eat pork on New Year's Day. You don't want to eat chicken or turkey, because when they are looking for food, they scratch their feet backwards.

Chicken may make your luck fly away

According to Country Living, eating chicken around a new year can attract bad luck — it's said that, since chickens have wings, your good fortune could literally fly away.

Another superstition, this is American folklore: don't wash clothes on New Year's Day. If you clean clothes on Jan. 1, you may wash away a member of your family in the coming year — meaning someone will die. Not to mention sending a year of good fortune down the drain.

Why can't you eat chicken on New Year's? ›

Chicken, Squab, or Anything with Wings

If it has wings, it can fly away - and that's what legend says about chicken on New Years. Eating chicken can cause your good luck to fly away, and well - we definitely don't want that. Make that Roasted Chicken later in January, just to be safe.

Don't Eat Lobster, Crab or Chicken - Lobsters walk backwards; crabs walk sideways; and because chickens have wings, your good luck could “fly away.” Thought: Stick with the pig because he always moves forward – plus, I have a delicious pork chop recipe!

We can really get behind this superstition. If you're concerned about "sweeping" or "washing" away any luck coming your way, don't do any cleaning—including dishes and laundry.

If there was any corn left they made cornbread. So, theses three items have come to represent hope and prosperity for the New Year. The peas represent coins, the greens - paper money and the cornbread, gold.

It is a common practice in the southern United States to eat black-eyed peas on New Year's Day. The beans and leafy greens represent coins and money symbolizing luck, knowledge, and wealth. The tradition stems from several places including West Africa, Europe, and the south.

Chicken, Squab, or Anything with Wings

Eating chicken can cause your good luck to fly away, and well - we definitely don't want that. Make that Roasted Chicken later in January, just to be safe. And lastly... Whatever your New Year's Eve or New Year's Day menu includes, be sure to leave a little on your plate.

Cake: From donuts to more traditional cakes, round or ring-shaped sweets are very popular on New Year's Day. Many people believe round foods symbolize a circle. They may bring good luck that the coming year will go well and come “full circle” around to this same point in time the following year.

This eastern European tradition of eating cabbage on New Year's—either as a dish or as cabbage rolls—is meant to signify luck, particularly on the financial side of things. People who eat cabbage on New Year's believe that it'll help them make more money in the year ahead.

Don't Clean the House on New Year's Day - You will wash away any good luck coming your way.