New Year’s Food Traditions Around The World

New Year’s Eve is pretty much here and the world is in a hush hush to make it yet another memorable day to kick start new things in their lives. With so many traditions religiously and spiritually followed by the people across the world on the Eve, the tradition having mouth-watering feasts is something that has caught our eyes. New Year’s Food Tradition is followed by the people around the world, but the foods vary from country to country. If you are interested in knowing the foods that the people of different countries feed themselves on the New Year’s Eve then here you go.  We have them covered here. Give it a read!

New Year’s Food Traditions Around The World

As the New Year is in the cards, people start thinking about baking new-age cakes, breads, cooking noodles, peas, pigs etc to make it most celebratory. Here each food represents some kind of luck and prosperity. The purpose of eating some kind of traditional food is with a strong belief that it would bring them good luck in the coming year. Though there are few myths surrounding these food traditions, there are actually few food traditions that work wonders for many.

If you are someone who abides by the age-old traditions and loves to adopt and follow them with heart then check out the food tradition of the place you reside in. Also, if you are in a new place for the work purpose or for some other reason and want to know the New Years Eve Food Traditions of the land, then you will get it too from here. Although the New Year’s good luck food vary, the main intention of consuming them on the Eve is the same and that is they are thought to bestow prosperity, luck, happiness and more. 

1. Spain – Twelve Grapes

People of Spain eat 12 grapes on the strike of the clock in the midnight of the Eve. The 12 grapes represent 12 moths which are yet to unfold. They eat each grape with a wish for each of the 12 months. The tradition of eating grapes has come into light in the early 20^th century and since them Spanish people follow it religiously without miss on every Eve.

2. Japan – Rice Cakes

Japanese list of New Year foods is quite long. While they offer rice cakes filled with sweet bean paste to the God on the Eve, they eat foods that are believed to bring them good fortune in the coming year. The foods include sweet black beans, rolled kelp, herring roe etc. However, the food that tops the list is soba noodles which are highly consumed by the people of Japan on the New Year. As the Soba noodles are quite long in length, they believe that their life will be long if they eat them on the Eve. 

3. United States – Hoppin’ John 

New Year is celebrated on a grand note by the people of United State every year. People of U.S. eat Hoppin’ John on the Eve, which is a combination of beans, greens and rice. Here each of the foods represents luck, prosperity, and money. People also make sure to have a toast with champagne in the midnight of the Eve.

4. Italy – Pork Sausage 

There are many different New Year’s Food Traditions Around The World and Italian people also have their own kind of tradition. They feast on a traditional dish named cotechino e lenticchie on the New Year’s Eve. It is nothing but the pork sausage with lo zampone with lentils. The hoof of the pic and lentils are consumed on the Eve as they are said to represent abundance and good luck respectively. 

5. Mexico – Sweet Bread 

Similar to the people of Spain, Mexican people also eat grapes on the eve night. They eat 12 grapes for 12 months. Also, other than the grapes they consume sweet break called Rosca de Reyes. The bread is baked with a coin as it resembles good luck. The person who gets the coin in their bread slice is believed to have good luck in the coming year. Other traditional foods consumed by Mexican people include ponche, fried fitters, salted codfish etc.

6. Netherlands – Oliebollens 

In Netherlands, people consume oliebollen also referred as fried oil balls on the Eve. They are nothing but dumplings made of currants or raisins and powdered sugar.  They prepare them by themselves at home or they are available on the streets for people to purchase. People also distribute them in family gatherings on the eve. 

7. Austria – Pig Suckling 

Austrian people title New Year Eve as Sylvesterabend. They drink red wine with cinnamon, sugar and other spices. Other than Austria, German people also follow the same tradition. They also eat pig suckling in their dinner and as a part of tradition decorate the dinner table with marzipan pigs. They are called as good luck pigs by Austrians. 

8. Russia – Herring 

Russians on the New Year Eve eat lots of food as a tradition. Their food chart includes a lot that resemble abundance. The traditional foods of Russians that they consume on New Year’s Eve are salads, meats, hot pies etc. They also eat a traditional dish on the Eve called as selyodka pod shuboi that has carrots, eggs and beets in it. 

9. China – Jiaozi

Chinese bring that eating dumplings on the New Year’s Eve bring prosperity. They eat lots of different foods on the last day of the year to welcome the New Year. They eat oranges and tangerines, noodles, whole fish for luck, longevity and unity respectively. Traditionally they eat old Chinese silver ingots named Jiaozi on the Eve.

10. Ireland – Raisin Bread

Irish people become big foodies on the night of the Eve. They eat enormous quantities of food on the Eve as a part of their tradition. They also refer the New Year’s Eve as “The Night of the Big Portion”. People bake huge cakes, smash them and eat the crumbs together. The intention of doing it is warding off the hunger. On the next day they would place buttered bread outside their door from which “Day of Buttered Bread” came for the New Year.

11. France – Croquembouche

The New Years Food Traditions of France include long dinners. They refer it is le reveillon. This long dinner is held in the presence of entire family in olden days, but now they are being hosted by restaurants as well. The party foods include French traditional menu like tower of cream puffs or croquembouche. 

12. Germany – Pork Shoulder 

German people eat a lot of cabbage looms in the Eve. This is because people in the country believe that greens bring prosperity into life. So, they make sure to consume more of greens on the Eve. Other greens Germans consume include collards. They also pair it up with pigs as they are considered progressive animals by Germans.

13. Greece – Roast Lamb 

People of Greece have their own way of eating on the New Year. People over there hand onion on the front door along with a pomegranate to represent birth and re-growth. The pomegranate is handed on the Christmas itself. In the evening of the Eve, they feast on roast lamb or pork. 

14. Denmark – Kransekage 

Denmark people prepare a cake tower with concentric rings. They prepare the cake using marzipan and decorate it with flags, ornaments and crackers all over and a wine bottle too. The cake is referred as Kransekage and those who cannot have it can visit the Bakeries that offer the cakes to its customers on the Eve. 

15. Holland – Apple Fitters 

Holland people prefer eating round-shaped foods on the New Year’s Eve. They mainly eat apple fritters and oily balls on the Eve as they are round in shape. They believe that they bring luck as they are in the form of circle. These foods are packed with sweet fruits and sugar for a mouth-watery taste.

Well, these are the New Year’s Food Traditions followed by the people around the world. Hope these staples will inspire and you consume them as well as a symbol of prosperity and luck. You can absolutely pair these traditional foods of the world with champagne to complete the course. So, yeah if you find our article informative do bookmark our website – NEWYEARWIKI.COM and keep checking. You can also comment the foods that you eat in your native land on the Eve in the comments section below.