Different cultures have different ways of ensuring luck in the coming year. One of those is by eating “lucky” foods on New Year’s Day. Below are some interesting approaches to starting the year off right with a belly full of luck and prosperity. Which ones are you familiar with?

  • Legumes: Black-eyed peas, lentils, or field peas are in many countries’ customs for bringing luck in the new year. The southern dish, Hoppin’ John, combines many of the ingredients on this list into one big pot, so it’s extra lucky. Not only are beans an economical choice that shows your frugality, but they are also said to represent coins or wealth. [RECIPE BELOW]
  • Cooked greens: While the Germans favor sauerkraut as their cabbage, here in the south we usually have Collards or Mustard greens. The green leafiness represents currency or “folding money”.
  • Cornbread: The gold color often means gold wealth…plus it is great with Hoppin’ John.
  • Pork: This is often the meat of choice in many cultures because of the way the pig roots forward, to indicate progress in the coming year. Chickens scratch backward or fly away, Lobsters swim backward and cows stand relatively still,…so the pig is the winner by default when you think about it in that context.
  • Fish: Fish also swim forward, so for those that don’t eat pork, they’re a good choice for your meal as well. Cod is a traditional choice in the Caribbean, Poland, and Germany; while herring and cod are a common choice in Italy or Denmark.
  • Doughnuts: Living in the heart of Krispy Kreme country, anytime is a good time for doughnuts, but for many Eastern European countries doughnuts are eaten during New Year’s to symbolize a ring for more wealth, or for the circle of life.
  • Milk Bubbles: This one might have been just in our household because we were all terribly picky eaters, but drinking the bubbles in your milk before they popped was said to bring good luck. So before pouring our milk, be sure to shake the carton extra hard to give us more bubbles.

How do you plan on kicking off the New Year? 

Hoppin John

QUICK & EASY HOPPIN’ JOHN

Ingredients

  • 6 slices bacon, chopped
  • 1 (1- to 1 1/2-pound) boneless ham, cut into 1/2 inch squares
  • 1 onion, chopped fine
  • 4 c. kale, baby spinach, or collard greens – chopped
  • 4 garlic cloves, minced
  • 1/2 teaspoon dried thyme
  • 2 cups chicken broth
  • 2 (16-ounce) bags frozen black-eyed peas (these cook up faster than dried beans and aren’t as mushy as canned)
  • 1 bay leaf

Instructions

  • 1. BROWN PORK Cook bacon in a Dutch oven over medium heat until crisp, about 8 minutes. Using a slotted spoon, transfer bacon to a paper towel-lined plate. Pour off all but 1 tablespoon fat from pot and brown ham, about 3 minutes per side. Transfer to plate with bacon.
  • 2. COOK VEGGIES Add onion and greens to pot and cook until wilted, about 5 minutes. Stir in garlic and thyme and cook until fragrant, about 30 seconds. Add broth, peas, bay leaf, and browned ham and bring to boil. Reduce heat to low and simmer – covered – until beans are just tender, about 20 minutes.
  • 3. ADD THE PORK Stir in bacon and ham. Spoon a heaping helping over rice for each serving. Have hot sauce (Frank’s is our preferred) on the table for everyone to add to their liking. Serves 8.