Traditional New Year's Foods to Bring Good Luck in 2022
Everyone looks towards the New Year with hope for good health, happiness, and good luck, especially after the past couple of years we’ve had. Did you know that there are specific foods that some believe can help in bringing those things? Let’s take a look at some traditional foods that bring good luck and how you can spice them up!
Black-Eyed Peas
Black-eyed peas are a very common side dish for a New Year’s Day meal thanks to their long history with good fortune. It is believed that African-Americans celebrated the 1863 Emancipation Proclamation by feasting on dishes that included black-eyed peas. It is also said that in Ancient Egypt, black-eyed peas were eaten as a way to show humility to the gods, therefore bringing good luck to those who ate them.
If you’re thinking of giving black-eyed peas a try this New Year’s, don’t worry– they’re easy to make! First, rinse the dried beans in a colander to remove any debris. Once they’ve been rinsed, soak them by placing the beans in a large pot and covering them with water. Add salt, bring the water to a boil, and then let them soak for an hour. Rinse and drain them, then add them to a pot with enough water to cover them by at least two inches and simmer for an hour. This is also when you can add any seasonings you like– we recommend Oh, My Sweet Chipotle!
Pork
Pork is known to bring good luck for a very interesting reason– the way that pigs behave. Animal theorists say that while most animals scratch backward, pigs bury their snout in the ground and move forward– the same way we want to go into the New Year. Per German and Eastern European tradition, pork is often eaten on New Year’s Day with cabbage. For example, sausage and sauerkraut is a popular New Year’s Day meal.
If you like your pork tender, smoky, and sweet, we recommend adding some Smoky Sweet New Orleans into your crockpot when you cook up this traditional German meal.
Fruit
In the Philippines, it is common to celebrate New Year’s Eve with fruit. Filipinos use twelve different types of fruit to symbolize each month of the year. These typically include round fruits, but can sometimes also include mangoes and watermelons.
In Mexico, they celebrate the New Year by eating grapes at midnight. This stems from a Spanish tradition known as Las Doce Uvas de la Suerte, or “the Twelve Grapes of Luck”. When the clock strikes midnight, you eat one grape for each stroke of the clock for prosperity and good luck.
These are just a few of the countless foods and meals that are considered to be good luck going into the New Year across the world. What are your favorite New Year’s recipes? Here’s to a healthy, safe, and happy year ahead!