Recipes Holidays and Events Recipes New Year 9 Lucky Foods to Eat on New Year's Day Put these foods on the menu for good luck all year long. By Vanessa Greaves Vanessa Greaves 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 Updated on December 19, 2024 Close Greens, Black-Eyed Peas, Cornbread, and Ham | Photo by Meredith. You may not be 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 10 Pork 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. View Recipe Save 02 of 10 Grapes 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. View Recipe Save 03 of 10 Pomegranates 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. View Recipe Save 04 of 10 Fish 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. View Recipe Save 05 of 10 Noodles and Rice 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 View Recipe Save 06 of 10 Cakes 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. View Recipe Save 07 of 10 Black-Eyed Peas Greens, Black-Eyed Peas, Cornbread, and Ham | Photo by Meredith. Even folks who aren't from the South go all in on eating black-eyed peas for good luck on New Year's Day. Cook up an irresistibly soft, hearty dish that will also bring you good fortune. View Recipe Save 08 of 10 Collard Greens DOTDASH MEREDITH FOOD STUDIOS Greens symbolize monetary abundance in the new year, but the real riches are found in the flavor of this classic Southern dish. "I absolutely love this recipe!" shares one Allrecipes user. "I make it for my family every year on New Year's Day and I won't make collards any other way again." View Recipe Save 09 of 10 Cornbread Allrecipes Magazine Our community of home cooks can't get enough of this sweet, fluffy cornbread - and we're sure you'll feel the same way too. Use simple pantry ingredients to create a classic New Year's dish that symbolizes gold and all of the good things to come. View Recipe Save 10 of 10 More Inspiration Buckwheat Queen 20 New Year's Eve Finger Foods New Year's Food Traditions From Around the World New Year's Day Dinner Recipes Was this page helpful? Thanks for your feedback! Tell us why! Other Submit