Learn how to plan your New Year’s Day menu around traditional lucky foods: the foods people have reached for, for thousands of years, for abundance, fertility, and prosperity.
Even if you’re not superstitious, sometimes it’s fun to celebrate traditions. Eating “lucky foods” for a New Year has been almost universally celebrated for thousands of years, and there is a mix of unique ideas (smashing a pomegranate) and common themes (eating foods that look like coins, money, and gold).
There are so many easy ways to participate and plenty of recipes with great overlap. Now is a great time to make a plan and get ready for your luckiest year yet.
Table of Contents
1. Pork for progress
Pigs always root (nudge/push with their snout) forward, a sign of “moving forward” or progression in the New Year. Their plump size and shape also mean health and abundance.
You’ll want to avoid chickens because they scratch backwards and have wings (your luck might fly away!). And steer clear of lobster because they move backwards, too.
More delicious pork recipes
Pork, Ham, and Lamb Recipes
Bacon Wrapped Pork Tenderloin with Roasted Fennel
This fabulous Bacon-wrapped Pork Tenderloin with roasted fennel is the sheet pan dinner of your dreams. The pork is tender, the bacon is salty, and the fennel soaks up the juices from both! It’s also…
Christmas Recipes
Baked Ham with Crumb Topping
Pork, Ham, and Lamb Recipes
Dr. Pepper Ham
Pork, Ham, and Lamb Recipes
Grilled Pork Tenderloin
Pork, Ham, and Lamb Recipes
Pork Loin with Ratatouille
2. Beans and peas for wealth
Beans, lentils, and peas symbolize pennies or coins, and people eat them for New Year’s to help bring wealth in the New Year.
Hoppin’ John, a classic Southern dish made with black-eyed peas, is a staple on New Year’s tables across the country. Made with pork (that progressive plump pig) and served with cooked rice (another lucky food), it’s hearty, delicious, and we hope, lucky.
More delicious bean recipes
Soup and Stew Recipes
Slow Cooker Ham and Bean Soup
This easy Slow Cooker Ham and Bean Soup recipe is an ultra-comforting and healthy dinner idea. Bonus: There’s no need to soak the beans in advance for this slow cooker soup! There are many reasons…
Side Dish Recipes
Slow Cooker Calico Beans
Soup and Stew Recipes
Sausage and Bean Stew
Appetizer Recipes
Cowboy Caviar
Soup and Stew Recipes
Ham and Lentil Soup
3. Greens for money
Green leafy vegetables such as cabbage, kale, spinach, and collard greens symbolize green dollars and wealth. Eat them in conjunction with black-eyed peas and cornbread if possible for the trio of prosperity: coins, dollars, and gold.
More leafy green recipes
Salad Recipes
Spinach Salad with Bacon Dressing
The perfect Spinach Salad has tender spinach leaves gently wilted with warm bacon dressing. A few pieces of hard-boiled egg complete this simple, satisfying side dish. This was always my favorite salad that my grandma…
Soup and Stew Recipes
White Bean and Kale Soup
Vegetable Recipes
Crispy Kale Chips
Soup and Stew Recipes
The Best Cabbage Soup
Salad Recipes
Strawberry Spinach Salad
4. Cornbread for gold
Not only is cornbread delicious with a piping hot bowl of Hoppin’ John, it’s lucky! Cornbread looks like gold, so bake a batch to ring in the new year.
In certain Asian cultures, oranges and honey are also considered good luck. So, maybe swipe that cornbread with a spoonful of orange marmalade.
5. Fruit for fertility
In Spain and Mexico, it is customary to eat 12 grapes at midnight and make 12 wishes for the 12 months of the upcoming year (in Spain, the grapes are frozen).
Champagne, made from grapes, is lucky for this same reason. Pop a bottle of bubbly or elevate it with a Champagne cocktail such as a Mimosa, a Bellini, or a Kir Royale.
In Greece, families might smash a whole pomegranate (blessed in church that morning, if possible) against the door. The luck for the family is determined by the number of seeds scattered.
6. Circle desserts for a year of luck
Sweets in general are good luck, but round treats in particular symbolize the circle of life and a full year of good luck to the eater. Bundt cakes, donuts, and cookies all qualify.
For an extra boost of luck, choose desserts made with oranges and honey (they bring wealth and fortune according to certain Asian cultures). Or maybe spread some orange marmalade on your cornbread?
More lucky round desserts
Pie and Tart Recipes
Fresh Fruit Tart
Loaded with a lush assortment of seasonal berries and other fruit, there’s nothing quite as lovely as a Fresh Fruit Tart. You’ll also learn some baking basics, like a tart crust and pastry cream, along…
Cake and Cupcake Recipes
Cinnamon Apple Cake
Cake and Cupcake Recipes
Spice Cake
Sweets
Lemon Blueberry Cake
Cake and Cupcake Recipes
Hot Milk Cake
7. Fish for abundance
Fish are considered abundant because their scales look like coins and they swim in schools (and they swim forward).
It’s especially popular in Asian cultures to eat a whole fish for New Year’s (and for the Lunar New Year). In European cultures, though, they focus on carp, cod, and herring.
More delicious fish recipes
Grilling and Smoker Recipes
Smoked Salmon
Homemade Smoked Salmon is a treat all on its own, on a bagel, in a dip, or as part of an appetizer board. My Smoked Salmon recipe is tender, smoky, and yes, absolutely worth it…
Fish and Seafood Recipes
Pan-Fried Tilapia
Fish and Seafood Recipes
Asian Salmon in Foil
Fish and Seafood Recipes
Ahi Tuna with Ponzu Sauce
Appetizer Recipes
Tilapia Ceviche
8. Long noodles for longevity
Long noodles lead to a long life, so boil some salted water and get cooking! Spaghetti Carbonara is great because it contains bacon (we love a rooting pig for the new year!).
More recipes with long pasta
Italian Recipes
Spaghetti and Meatballs
This classic Spaghetti and Meatballs recipe is a hearty and comforting family dinner idea. One bite of this Italian-American dinner recipe will transport you to a Midwestern red sauce restaurant.
Italian Recipes
Artichoke Pasta
Italian Recipes
Spaghetti alla Puttanesca
Beef Recipes
Cincinnati Chili
30 Minute Meals
One Pot Taco Spaghetti
Wishing you and yours the happiest, luckiest New Year of all!