New Year’s Eve is a festive time celebrated around the world with friends, family,
and fireworks. Another New Year’s tradition people love: eating delicious food. But
what counts as New Year’s Eve food? Read through the foods below to get a taste for
New Year’s Eve food traditions (you could even serve some at your New Year’s Eve
party). While you’re at it, make these resolutions that you’ll actually stick to.
New Year's Eve is a pretty special holiday. Not only is it the final celebration of a long holiday season, but it's also a moment to celebrate the end of a year and the beginning of a new one. Everyone loves a chance to celebrate a fresh start — and the dressing up in sequins, glitter, and satin doesn't hurt, either. Even though fancy, exciting New Year's Eve's parties are usually the biggest part of the holiday, there are other New Year's Eve traditions, too.
Transcript
Slide 1Overview New Year’s Eve is a festive time celebrated around the world with friends, family, and fireworks. Another New Year’s tradition people love: eating delicious food. But what counts as New Year’s Eve food? Read through the foods below to get a taste for New Year’s Eve food traditions (you could even serve some at your New Year’s Eve party). While you’re at it, make these resolutions that you’ll actually stick to. Donuts for the Year Coming Full Circle Ring-shaped food is said to be symbolic of the year coming full circle. For your New Year's breakfast, consider a tasty bundt cake or one of our favorites—the classic donut. Trying to eat a bit healthier already? Celebrate all you've accomplished with less guilt by making a baked version instead of frying them in oil. Longevity The longer the noodle, the longer the life. At least, that's what this ancient superstition says. Traditionally slurped up for Chinese New Year, soba noodles are extra-long and symbolize longevity. Just be careful to not break or chew the noodles on their way from bowl to mouth! Pork for Prosperity If it's wealth and prosperity you seek, pork should be your main course this new year. New Year's Eve should be celebrated with great food, so why not have a taco party? We're ready to dish out some tacos featuring pork carnitas seasoned with spices like cumin, paprika, cinnamon, and oregano. Breaking a Wishbone for Luck Fighting over the wishbone is almost as much of a tradition as the breaking of the wishbone itself. Legend says if the wishbone breaks evenly between the people pulling it, they both get their wishes. If the bone doesn't break right down the middle, the person with the longer end will have his or her wish granted. Ancient Romans saw chickens as predictors of the future and good luck omens. We're ready to roast up a whole bird and make our wish come true. Lentils: Bites to Success As lentils are soaked in water, they expand, symbolizing prosperity. Wintertime is great for a hearty bowl of pasta, so let's look forward to a prosperous year with a big pot of our favorite lentil bolognese. Golden Cornbread Year Ahead Cornbread's delicious golden hue symbolizes, you guessed it, wealth. It's a tried- and-true classic quickbread, but the many varieties will give you plenty of options to strike dinner menu gold in the new year. Whole Fish for Months Ahead Legend has it that eating a whole fish—literally the head, tail, and all—brings forth a good year. We're thinking about firing up the grill to get our fix with some stuffed trout. Once prepped, this recipe will have your dinner on the table within 10 minutes. Not feeling that ambitious? Nod to the tradition with some tasty baked fish instead. Cookies for Well Wishes Kick off the new year with messages of luck, hope, and prosperity for your friends and family. Slide each one into a handmade cookie (yes, you really can make your own fortune cookies at home!). If your loved ones have a good sense of humor, consider slipping in a joke or two. Starting the New Year off with laughter can't be a bad thing. Money For the Pennsylvania Dutch, long shreds of cabbage represent a long life making sauerkraut a must-have on the New Year's dinner table. Be sure to make a hefty portion, the Pennsylvania Dutch also wish for as much luck and money as the number of cabbage strands on the table. Bountiful Year Look to Europe for your newest New Year's tradition. In countries like Norway, Germany, Poland, Finland, and Sweden, herring is bountiful thanks to its proximity to the Baltic Sea. So on New Year's, right at midnight, herring is served up to encourage bounty and prosperity in the coming year. The fish's silver is also said to resemble coins, which is a good sign of future fortune. Dumplings On the day before the Chinese New Year, families will gather to make jiaozi. The dumplings are shaped like gold ingots—the currency used in ancient China—so eating them as a New Year’s Eve food will bring financial luck. Try making your own healthy steamed dumplings. Tamales Tamales are a traditional Mexican dish many families eat throughout the holiday season. They symbolize generations of familial bonds, as families typically gather to help each other make this delicious holiday dish. Soft pretzels Don’t be surprised if you see German-Americans eating a glazed soft pretzel on New Year’s. It’s believed that eating a soft pretzel brings good luck into the new year. Who wouldn’t want to kick the new year off with a sweet snack like this? Kransekage According to CNN, Kransekage is a wreath cake tower that consists of multiple rings of cake piled on top of one another. The desserts are a part of Norway and Denmark's New Year's Eve traditions. The cake is made with marzipan, is often build around a bottle of wine or Aquavit in the center, and can be decorated for any special occasion. Tteokguk The taste and ingredients of Tteokguk, a.k.a. Korea's New Year Soup, vary by region. But, generally, its base is made with a protein broth in a soy-sauce seasoned stock, then cylindrical rice cakes are added to the soup. According to the Culture Trip, Tteokguk is one of the many foods prepared as an offering to the family's ancestors on Seollal, the Korean New Year. It's said that someone cannot become a year older until they've had their bowl of tteokguk. Galette des rois The cake is often made with puff pastry and frangipane, an almond-flavored cream or paste but they can be filled with plenty of other sweets instead. Regardless of its filling, the galette des rois always hides the coveted, fève, or bean, a ceramic trinket or charm, and the person who finds it is graced with good luck. Oliebollen These Dutch treats are made from frying small balls of dough stuffed with raisins or currants in a pan of hot oil, hence the name Oliebollen, or oil balls, the Dutch Review, a Netherlands magazine, reported. Known in the United States as Dutch Doughnuts, oliebollen are topped with powdered sugar and can be made with other ingredients, like cinnamon or apple pieces. The dessert is often eaten on New Year's Eve and washed down with champagne. Kuku sabzi According to The Culture Trip, Kuku sabzi is type of frittata made with eggs and fresh herbs. The dish is traditionally served at Nowruz, the Iranian New Year, which takes place during the spring equinox. Kuku sabzi promises of fertility and abundance in the upcoming year. Raw egg While this New Year's Eve food tradition doesn't involve eating, it is something that people in El Salvador do each year. A minute before midnight, each family member cracks an egg into a glass of water, The Culture Trip reported, and let them sit overnight. The following morning, the shape of the egg gives you a clue about what your future holds. reyes According to Latin media company we are mitú, the Roscas de Reyes, king's wreath, is a brioche-style cake, filled and topped with candied fruits. The cake is often paired with traditional Mexican hot chocolate, which highlights the indigenous origins of chocolate. Inside the Roscas, you'll find at least one, if not more, babies representing the newly born Jesus Christ. Conclusion New Year's Eve is a pretty special holiday. Not only is it the final celebration of a long holiday season, but it's also a moment to celebrate the end of a year and the beginning of a new one. Everyone loves a chance to celebrate a fresh start — and the dressing up in sequins, glitter, and satin doesn't hurt, either. Even though fancy, exciting New Year's Eve's parties are usually the biggest part of the holiday, there are other New Year's Eve traditions, too.