New Year’s Day Food Traditions

 

  • Eating noodles at midnight is customary at Buddhist temples in Japan.
  • A German/Pennsylvania Dutch tradition is to eat pork and sauerkraut on New Year’s day for good luck.
  • It is the tradition of Bosnia & Croatia (both of former Yugoslavia) to eat what is called “Sarma” or beef wrapped tightly in cabbage to bring good luck in health and wealth for the upcoming year.
  • It is a Cuban tradition to eat 12 grapes at the stroke of midnight. The 12 grapes signify the last twelve months of the year.
  • German folklore says that eating herring at the stroke of midnight will bring luck for the next year. Herring Salad recipe.
  • Eating pickled herring as the first bite of the New Year brings good luck to those of Polish descent.
  • In the southern United States, it is believed eating black eyed peas on New Year’s eve will bring luck for the coming year.
  • Also from the south comes the custom of eating greens such as cabbage, collard greens, mustard greens, kale or spinach to bring money.
  • One more from the Southerners: eating cornbread will bring wealth.
  • The Southern custom of eating greens can be found in other cultures as well, although the cabbage can take many forms, such as sauerkraut or even Kimchi.
  • In the Philippines, it is important to have food on the table at midnight in order to insure an abundance of food in the upcoming year.
  • Boiled Cod is a New Year’s Eve must in Denmark.
  • OlieBollen a donut-like fritter is popular in Holland for New Year.
  • Black-eyed peas, fish, apples, and beets are eaten for luck at the Jewish New Year’s celebration (not celebrated on Jan 1).
  • Another tradition from the Philippines is to collect 7 different types of round fruits. The round shape of the fruits signify money and seven is believed to be a lucky number. Set on the dinner table on New Year’s eve, the fruits are believed to bring prosperity and sound financial status for the coming year.

Other New Year’s Traditions and Superstitions

Don’t Vote

Here are two ways to register to vote, but after watching this video if you still do not care then don’t.

Register to Vote online or go to www.maps.google.com/vote to find a place to register near you.

Did You Know #43

Gilbert L. Loomis of Westfield, Massachusetts, was the first American to purchase an auto insurance policy in 1897.

Did You Know #42

FBI statistics indicate that DUI is more generally a Caucasian crime. In 2006, nearly 10 times more whites than blacks were arrested for driving under the influence.

Did You Know #41

On March 1, 1912, Captain Albert Berry became the first person to parachute
from an airplance…and walk away.

Did You Know #40

Nearly 30 percent of Dalmatian dogs are born with complete or partial hearing loss.

Did You Know #39

Because of the number of creepy-crawlies that make their home in the rivers and streams of Alabama, it’s sometimes referred to as “The Lizard State.”

Did You Know #38

Donald Duck’s middle name is Fauntleroy.

Did You Know #37

The first Macintosh computer was launched during the 1984 Superbowl with a commercial featuring a Mac defeating Big Brother from Orwell’s 1984.

Did You Know #36

A team of British researchers recently created the world’s tiniest transistor, which is only 1 atom thick and 10 atoms wide.

Did You Know #35

The first robot conductor made its debut in May 2008 conducting the Detroit Symphony Orchestra as it played “The Impossible Dream”.

Joe Biden at the Democratic National Convention 2008

Did You Know #34

Bill Gates outranks Chairman Mao as a teen idol in China according to a 2002 survey by the City University of Hong Kong.

Did You Know #33

Technically speaking, a male ballet dancer is a Ballerino.

Did You Know #32

Elvis Presley’s hair was naturally a dirty blond color. He dyed it to look like his idol Tony Curtis.