These New Year's Foods Are Considered Good Luck Around the World (2024)

Legend has it that if you want to bring good luck in the new year, you need to eat 365 black-eyed peas on New Year's Day—one for every day of the year! A serving of Ree's Hoppin' John will likely do the trick. 😉 You can also enjoy black-eyed peas, which are actually a type of bean, in a hearty veggie burrito or a black-eyed pea dip that's loaded with cheese.

Hoppin' John

Zannie's Black-Eyed Pea Dip

Veggie Burritos with Black-Eyed Peas

Cowboy Caviar

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This one might seem obvious, but collard greens are the color of paper money, so they're thought to symbolize a prosperous year ahead. This is especially true if eaten alongside black eyed-peas (which are round like coins) and cornbread (the color of gold). Of course, you can also swap collard greens or any other leafy green, like kale, spinach, or Swiss chard.

Collard Greens

Chicken Kale Pasta

Collard Green Salad

Sausage and Kale Quiche

The Greek tradition of hanging a bag of onions on your door is meant to symbolize growth and rebirth. It all started back in ancient times when people realized that onions would sprout even when they were left alone. It was the ultimate sign for luck and fertility. So go ahead and grab some onions, then put them to use in these tasty recipes. Air fryer onion rings are a great place to start!

Air Fryer Onion Rings

Blooming Onion

Caramelized Onion Dip

French Onion Pasta

A bottle of bubbly is often thought of as a symbol of luxury. In Europe, drinking champagne to celebrate a special occasion dates back to the 16th century. Today, you can find more affordable bottles of champagne available, but they'll still be overflowing with festivity. Another way to incorporate champagne into your New Year's traditions? Some people will place gold jewelry, like a ring, into their glass of champagne to symbolize wealth. Or you can try hopping three times without spilling your champagne, then splash it over your shoulder to represent letting go of the previous year.

French 75 co*cktail

Sparkling Margarita

Champagne Cupcakes

Cranberry Mimosa

In Mexico, the tradition of making tamales symbolizes family. That's because families will often set aside a special time (usually between Christmas and New Year's) to make this labor-of-love that consists of masa (a type of corn dough mixture) that’s wrapped and streamed in corn husks or banana leaves. If you're looking to enjoy tamales with your family, but don't want to spend hours in the kitchen, try Instant Pot tamales or a quick and easy tamale pie!

Instant Pot Tamales

Tamale Pie

Mexican Pork Tamales

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If you’ve ever seen rice thrown at a wedding ceremony, you already know that it can be a symbol of prosperity and fertility. Enjoy it with beans (another symbol of luck) for a filling New Year’s Eve meal.

Rice and Beans

Sausage and Rice Stuffed Peppers

Broccoli Wild Rice Casserole

Soy-Ginger Beef Kebabs with Rice

Pumpkin Risotto

In the Netherlands, eating fried doughnut-like pastries called oliebollen is said to be lucky. They usually have a good dusting of powdered sugar on top.

Apple Fritters

Homemade Glazed Doughnuts

Apple Cider Doughnuts

Doughnut Hole Kebabs

Dumplings, which symbolize wealth, are often eaten as part of the Lunar New Year feast. While that celebration takes place in January or February depending on the lunar calendar, you can also make them for New Year’s Eve!

Pork Dumplings

Vegetable Dumplings

Easy Dumpling Soup

Many Germans ring in the New Year with a big soft pretzel to symbolize good luck, health, and prosperity in the year ahead. According to History.com, children in the 17th century also wore pretzel necklaces on New Year’s.

Soft Pretzels

Ranch Turkey Burger on Pretzel Roll

Cinnamon-Sugar Soft Pretzels

An old Irish custom considers New Year’s Day to be known as the Day of Buttered Bread. The tradition of leaving a slice of bread with butter on it outside your door was a way to banish hunger. Of course, you can always make the tradition your own by baking up a batch of fresh Irish soda bread for New Year’s brunch.

Irish Soda Bread

Homemade Cinnamon Bread

Artisan Sourdough Bread

Strawberry Butter

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Need some inspiration this year? Take a cue from pigs who are known to push forward as they eat. (And we want to move forward, not backward in the new year.) This is just one reason why pork is considered to be lucky on New Year's. Another reason—since pork is so fatty and rich, it can symbolize wealth on New Year's Day. Try a quick and crispy pork chop made in an air fryer or the saucy shredded pork served on sandwich buns.

Air-Fryer Pork Chops

Instant Pot Sticky Pork Lettuce Wraps

Spicy Dr. Pepper Shredded Pork

Pork Marsala with Mushrooms

Here's a fun New Year's tradition: as soon as the clock strikes midnight, eat 12 grapes as fast as you can. It's a good luck custom in Spain and Mexico to represent the 12 months of the year. Of course, if you want to really guarantee your luck, you can also try one of these tasty grape recipes below.

Fruit Salad with Mint Syrup

Chicken Salad with Grapes

Candied Grapes

Roasted Grape Crostini with Brie and Fresh Thyme

Many countries serve noodles for their New Year’s celebration to symbolize the longevity of life. Try the sesame pork noodle salad or beef curry with sweet potato noodles, but whatever you do, don't break the noodles before you eat them (it's all part of the tradition).

Sesame Pork Noodle Salad

Simple Sesame Noodles

Similar to black-eyed peas, lentils are a type of legume that look like little coins. They're typically eaten in Italy (and in other countries) on New Year’s to bring luck and good fortune. The red lentil hummus would make a great New Year's eve party snack, while the Mediterranean lentil salad would be a refreshing dish on New Year's Day.

Lentil Soup

Red Lentil Hummus

Mediterranean Lentil Salad

Cilantro Lime Chicken and Lentil Rice Bowls

Depending on the culture or country, fish is eaten on New Year's for different reasons: It can be considered a symbol of abundance because fish swim in big schools or a sign of good fortune for their shiny scales. Either way, you can't go wrong with one of these tasty fish recipes.

Parmesan Fish Sticks with Glazed Carrots

Blackened Salmon with Edamame Succotash

Spinach-Artichoke Tuna Noodle Casserole

Salmon Burgers with Sesame-Soy Glaze

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Pomegranate seeds add a pop of color and flavor to festive New Year's eve co*cktails, like pomegranate sparklers, but they'll also bring fertility and life to those who eat them. At least, according to some people Turkey, Greece, and the Mediterranean.

Pomegranate Sparklers

Beautiful Brussels Sprouts with Pomegranate Seeds

Mulled Pomegranate-Cherry Juice

Pomegranate Braised Short Ribs

It's always a good time for cake—especially if you're celebrating a special occasion like ringing in the New Year. A round, ring-shaped cake in particular is known to represent the full circle of life. Try one of Ree's crowd-pleasing Bundt cakes in pumpkin spice or lemon-lime flavor or go for something unexpected like a round-shaped monkey bread.

Pumpkin Spice Cake

Lemon-Lime Pound Cake

Monkey Bread

Baked Crumb Cake Doughnuts

Here's another symbol of gold for your New Year's table: cornbread! Combine this Southern favorite with black-eyed peas and collard greens for triple the luck.

Skillet Cornbread

Instant Pot Carnitas with Cornbread

Cornbread Waffles with Spicy Chicken

Cornmeal Muffins with Blackberry Jam

During Chinese New Year, citrus fruits like kumquats, tangerines, and oranges are all considered good luck. Their bright color is associated with happiness and fortune, which is why they're often shared among family and used in decorations. They have a refreshing burst of flavor, too.

Sunrise Fruit Salad

Petite Orange-Vanilla Scones

Sidecar co*cktail

Chocolate Crepes with Orange Cream Cheese Filling

In parts of Eastern Europe, cabbage is considered lucky because of its green color (similar to kale and collards), but it's also a traditional New Year's food due to timing—cabbage is harvested in late fall and often fermented or made into sauerkraut just in time for New Year's. Try your hand at making your own sauerkraut or incorporate cabbage in quicker recipes like colorful coleslaw.

Edna Mae's Escalloped Cabbage

Colorful Coleslaw

Purple Resolution Smoothie

Homemade Sauerkraut

SHOP SERVEWARE