Recipes Holidays and Events Recipes New Year 7 Lucky Foods to Eat on New Year's Day By Vanessa Greaves Vanessa Greaves Instagram Vanessa Greaves is a Senior Editor at Allrecipes with nearly two decades of experience helping home cooks gain confidence in the kitchen. A self-taught cook who grew up reading cookbooks for fun, Vanessa lives and breathes the challenges faced by busy everyday cooks to get dinner on the table. Allrecipes' editorial guidelines Published on October 29, 2020 Share Tweet Pin Email Trending Videos Greens, Black-Eyed Peas, Cornbread, and Ham | Photo by Meredith. You might say you're not 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. 01 of 08 Pork View Recipe ChefJackie Pork for progress! Pigs root around with their snouts moving in a forward motion, which is why many cultures around the world eat pork on New Year's Day to symbolize progress for the coming year. Get more pork recipes. 02 of 08 Grapes View Recipe Yoly In Spain and Mexico, eating 12 grapes at midnight is said to bring you luck for the 12 months ahead. (It's not as easy as it sounds. Make this recipe for your New Year's Eve party, and hold some grapes aside for your good-luck gobble. Get more grape recipes. 03 of 08 Pomegranates View Recipe Jennica Reis Seeds have always been associated with fertility. In Greece, they hurl whole pomegranates to the floor to release a flood of seeds that symbolize life and abundance. Get more pomegranate recipes. 04 of 08 Fish View Recipe Dianne So many fish in the sea. Maybe that's why they symbolized abundance in the new year around the world: Asian cultures feast on whole fish to celebrate Lunar New year, while on the other side of the globe, Europeans eat cod, herring, and carp. And while you don't eat the silvery scales, they do stand for an abundance of coinage. Get more fish recipes. 05 of 08 Noodles and Rice View Recipe okinawanprincess Noodles, especially extra-long noodles, are thought to bring long life if eaten without breaking them in the middle. Rice symbolizes fertility and wealth. Get more noodle recipes. Get more rice recipes. 06 of 08 Cakes View Recipe Kerri1503 Ring-shaped cakes and other rounded sweet treats bring a full circle of luck to the eater. In some traditions, a coin is baked inside to bring an extra serving of fortune to the one who finds it. Get more cake recipes. 07 of 08 Black-Eyed Peas, Greens, and Cornbread View Recipe Greens, Black-Eyed Peas, Cornbread, and Ham | Photo by Meredith. Even folks who aren't from the Southern United States go all in on eating black-eyed peas and leafy greens for good luck on New Year's Day. Add a slice of cornbread, and you've got "peas for pennies, greens for dollars, and cornbread for gold." Get more black eyed peas recipes. 08 of 08 Hungry for More? pelicangal Get more lucky recipes for New Year's Day. 15 New Year's Food Traditions to Borrow From Around the World Browse all New Year recipes. Was this page helpful? Thanks for your feedback! Tell us why! Other Submit