As with most holidays, New Year’s celebrations are centered around food.
While ordering a pizza on New Year’s Eve or Day is a popular option (those are two of the top five days for pizza delivery), a fun way to welcome 2025 would be with food that represents good things for the new year.
Whether you’re cooking for just your family or for a potluck gathering with dozens of people, check out these foods that are symbolic for good things ahead.
- Black-eyed peas: There are a few theories on this, but one states that because they swell when cooked, it symbolizes growing wealth. Cook them in Hoppin’ John, a black-eyed pea dip, or in burritos on New Year’s Day.
- Leafy greens: Collard greens, Swiss chard, kale, spinach and so on. These green veggies are said to represent a prosperous year ahead.
- Onions: Traditionally seen by the Greeks to hang a bag of onion over your door to indicate growth and rebirth due to onions easily sprouting even when left alone. Their layers also represent shedding the old to welcome the new.
- Rice: Normally seen thrown at weddings, rice symbolizes prosperity and fertility.
- Pork: Because pigs push forward as they eat, it’s considered good luck to eat pork so we can move forward in the new year.
- Grapes: In Mexico and Spain, it’s good luck to eat 12 grapes for each stroke of midnight.
- Noodles: in many countries, the longer, the better, to represent the longevity of life. In Japan, they traditionally slurp their noodles since it’s considered bad luck to break them.
- Lentils: Because they look like little coins, Italy and other countries eat them on New Year’s to bring luck and fortune.
- Fish: With so many fish in the sea, they represent abundance.
- Cornbread: The color of gold, it’s said to represent wealth.
- Buttered bread: This represents abundance and the absence of hunger for the year ahead. Ireland traditionally calls New Year’s Day the Day of Buttered Bread, where they leave a slice of buttered bread outside by the front door to thwart hunger.
- Doughnuts: These represent the year coming full circle. In Germany, jelly-filled doughnuts are common on New Year’s Eve.
Have fun incorporating these meaningful ideas into your New Year’s traditions if you haven’t already, and I’ll see you in 2025.
Black-Eyed Pea and Collard Greens Soup, from MyPlate.gov
Ingredients
- 3 cups collard greens, stems removed and chopped (about 1/2 pound)
- 2 cans (15 ounce each) black-eyed peas, low-sodium (or 4 cups)
- 1 tablespoon vegetable oil (or cooking oil of choice)
- 1 medium onion, chopped
- 1/8 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1/4 pound deli ham, sliced
- 1 can (14.5 ounce) low-sodium broth (chicken or vegetable)
- Salt and pepper to taste (optional)
- 2 teaspoons apple cider vinegar
Directions
- Wash hands with soap and water.
- Wash the collard greens.
- Drain and rinse the black-eyed peas.
- Collect, chop, dice and measure all ingredients before starting to prepare the recipe.
- Place oil, onion, garlic and ham in a large pot with a lid over medium heat. Stir occasionally until the onion is clear, about 3 to 5 minutes.
- Add collard greens and broth to the pot.
- Cover and simmer for about 20 minutes until the collard greens are tender.
- Place half of the black-eyed peas in a small bowl, and mash with a fork. Stir the mashed and whole peas into the soup. Simmer for another 5 minutes.
- Taste and add a small amount of salt and black pepper if desired.
10 Stir in vinegar just before serving.
- Refrigerate leftovers within 2 hours. Eat within 3 to 5 days.
Shari Bresin is the Family & Consumer Science Agent for the University of Florida/Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences Cooperative Extension Pasco County, An Equal Opportunity Institution.
