Lucky Foods for New Years

[Christmas-A-Holic]

Here in the southern USA it is considered lucky to eat black eyed peas on New Years Day. I have had friends from the north who never heard of this when they moved to Texas. It seems that most people from the Southern States know the tradition.

Here is the story behind why we consider it's lucky:

In the Southern United States, it's traditional to eat black-eyed peas or cowpeas in a dish called hoppin' john. There are even those who believe in eating one pea for every day in the new year. This all traces back to the legend that during the Civil War, the town of Vicksburg, Mississippi, ran out of food while under attack. The residents fortunately discovered black-eyed peas and the legume was thereafter considered lucky. (there might be other stories about this tradition but this is the one I was brought up on)

I wanted to know what foods were considered lucky to eat where you are from? I would like to know why it's lucky (if you know).

If you could please tell us where you are from when you list your lucky food. I would like to serve some of these foods on New Years along with what country the tradition is from and the story behind it.

I have already googled Lucky Foods for the New Year but I wanted to hear personal stories from people on the forums of their personal traditions.

We never go a year without eating black eyed peas. For the young ones in the family who don't like them, they at least eat 1 pea! =)

 

[shellie12]

Over in in ireland i do posk well it tastes good the oder folk say it will bring you good luck if eaten on New Year's Day, The reason is that pigs are forward-thinking creatures—all four hooves point forward and they root forward
And cabbage to

 

[lauriebear]

Cabbage Rolls
1 large heads cabbage, tough outer leaves or any discolored outer leaves removed, cored
1 pounds lean ground beef
½ pound ground lamb
1 pound ground pork
1 pound kielbasa
1 cup brown rice, cooked
1 tablespoon paprika
1 tablespoon black pepper
1 tablespoon salt
2 -8oz bags of good quality sauerkraut
1 -14.5 oz can, of whole peeled plum tomatoes

Bring a large pot of water to a boil. Add the head of cabbage and simmer until a few outer leaves easily pull away from the head. Remove softened leaves from the first head of cabbage. You may need to keep placing the cabbage back in the water to soften the whole head. Once complete set aside.

Place beef, lamb, pork and rice in a very large bowl. Sprinkle with the paprika, pepper, salt and combine (use your hands).

Get ready to assemble the rolls. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Spray a large Dutch oven or roasting pan. Pour one of the bags of sauerkraut on the bottom and spread over pan. Cut up kielbasa line sides of pan.

Lay one leaf of cabbage on a cutting board or dinner plate. Pinch off a small amount, about 1 ½-2 tablespoons, of the filling mixture and place on the spine end of the cabbage leaf. Roll up a little, and then fold in an inch or so of the right side of the cabbage leaf (like you would when rolling a burrito) and roll up completely. Use your pointer finger to stuff the cabbage on the un-folded side and place atop the sauerkraut in one of the pans. Repeat until all filling is used and both pans are full. Pour remaining bag of sauerkraut over the top of the rolls and pour the can of tomatoes over the rolls. Cover and bake for 1 ½ . Test for doneness by removing one of the rolls from a casserole and cutting into the center. The meat will be cooked through.

Makes about 1 ½ dozen cabbage rolls or 5-8 servings.


Now this was made by a neighbor of ours she was Hungarian, and these tase SO good!!! It wouldn't be New Years Day without them!!! She would tell us it was good luck to start your New Year!!!

 

[made582]

I'm just going to copy Jennifer91's post from the countdown since that's what we have.

I live in Pittsburgh, PA and I have always grown up eating pork and sauerkraut for my dinner on New Years Day. My grandma always said that it was what she ate on New Years Day growing up, so she continued the tradition with her family. My mom now does it and I can't imagine having a New Years without it! Eating this meal is supposed to bring you good luck for the upcoming year.

A lot of people hate sauerkraut because it is so bitter. The trick (if anyone wants to try it) is to dump the sauerkraut out of the can/bag into a strainer, rinse it with cold water, shake that out, rinse it again a few more times. That takes the horrible bitterness out of it and it actually tastes really good.

We usually cook it on the stove with the pork and also some hot dogs, but a crock pot works really well, too!

I think this originated from the Pennsylvania Dutch.

Edit -- Here is what the PA Dutch supposedly thought about it - "Pennsylvania Dutch superstition says that eating pork brings good luck because a pig roots forward to look for its food, while chickens scratch backward and cows stand still."

 

[Christmas-A-Holic]

I'm just going to copy Jennifer91's post from the countdown since that's what we have.

Why didn't I think of that since she can't post here?! Good idea!

I am so lacking sleep this week. =(

Thanks Made!

 

[Christmas-A-Holic]

Taken from the countdown:

African American families do the black eyed peas thing too, but also collards or cabbage (symbolizing money in the New Year). My late FIL used to make head cheese for New Years and give it away for luck. I don't know the tradition behind that one though.