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Here in the US, we have our local and regional traditions that ensure good luck in the new year. The South has its black-eyed peas and collard greens, the Midwest its pork and sauerkraut, and other regional favorites include pickled herring, lentils, soup and noodles, cabbage, and rice served in many different ways. 

Of course, more than a few of these dishes are owed to the various cultures in our national melting pot. Have you ever wondered what other countries consider a fortuitous first meal of the new year? Here are some of the traditions celebrated in our favorite spots.

France

As one might expect, the French celebrate the coming year with a lavish meal. The meal is called Le Réveillon, which means “the awakening”. That’s because the meal lasts past midnight and those in attendance “awaken” to a new year. Of course, there are variations according to the region but here are the most common dishes and foods served in France to ring in the New Year:

  • Creamy Chestnut Soup is served to ensure good health
  • Foie Gras
  • Duck Confit
  • Oysters
  • Caviar
  • Salmon
  • A rich Beef Stew
  • Charcuterie
  • Lobster
  • Game Meat
  • Cakes, Custard Tarts, and various pastries, including a King Cake for good fortune

The French do pause their meal at midnight to ring out the old and ring in the new with a glass of what else?-Champagne!

Greece

In Greece, little encouragement is needed to celebrate an occasion with friends and family. But, no other celebration carries as much significance for the Greeks as the first day of the year, also recognized as the Feast of St. Basil. This day is associated with prosperity, luck, health and well-being, and happiness.

 

For those who live in Greece, sourcing most of the foods eaten for that first dinner from your own land only strengthens your assurance of health and prosperity for your family in the new year. Regional traditions and customs come from all across Greece, but here are the most common ones.

  • The New Year celebration begins on New Year’s Eve morning with a family sing-along. This is called a kalanta. The New Year carols bring wishes for health, wealth and happiness for family, friends, and neighbors. 
  • Celebrations continue all day and typically within the family home. People travel from house to house in celebration of the coming year. 
  • It’s also common for people to invest in the lottery.
  • The head of the family smashes a pomegranate on the front door to symbolize fertility, prosperity, and renewal in the new year.

Foods include traditional dishes like moussaka, pork and beef stew, lemony avgolemono soup, stuffed cabbage, plenty of meze, appetizers, and salads. The most anticipated Greek dish on New Year’s Eve is the Vasilopita or New Year’s Cake. Hidden inside the cake is a coin which signifies good fortune to the one who receives it in their slice of cake. 

Italy

In Italy, the first day of the year is seen as an opportunity to begin anew. It’s also a religious holiday in the Catholic Church. Families, friends and neighbors celebrate from midnight on with food, festivities, wine and song. Of course, the traditions vary slightly depending on the region.

In Southern Italy, it’s customary to “ring in” the New Year. As the clock strikes midnight the residents of the region around Naples toss out the old car by throwing their old pots and pans out the window. This custom dates back to Roman times when loud noises were made at midnight to frighten away any evil spirits intent on ruining the new year.

Some of the traditional foods and their symbolism are as follows:

  • Pork is always eaten in some form across the country. It’s rich in fat and symbolizes prosperity. A special sausage called Cotechino simmers over low heat all day and is sliced in rounds for serving. Stuffed pig feet are also a New Year delicacy in many regions of Italy.
  • Lentils resemble coins and signify financial prosperity. They are often served with Cotechino as part of the New Year’s meal.
  • Risotto as your first course means you’ll begin the new year in financial abundance.
  • Dried fruits and nuts must be eaten in some form on New Year’s Eve and many enjoy a type of fruit cake for the occasion.
  • A towering struffoli, made of fried dough balls dipped in honey and stacked together is a symbol of abundance.
  • Spasso, or raisins and pine nuts wrapped in grape leaves, is another traditional nosh in Italian homes on New Year's Eve.

Portugal

The Portuguese greet the coming year by eating 12 raisins at midnight. One is eaten for each clock strike. This signifies prosperity in each month of the calendar year. Blue underwear is worn for good luck and on New Year’s Day it is considered tradition to take a dip in the ocean. 

The Portuguese ring in the New Year with fireworks, music, and dancing. The feast centers around family. Sparkling wine and non-alcoholic sparkling beverages are enjoyed at midnight and the evening continues with games and storytelling.

It’s a tradition in Portugal to celebrate New Year’s Eve with a meal called a consoada. This is a special feast eaten with family and friends, typically in the home, and centered around the Portuguese traditional salted cod, Bacalhau. Other foods the Portuguese eat to welcome in the New Year are:

  • Caldo Verde, a potato, kale, garlic, and sausage soup.
  • Leitao, a suckling pig prepared similarly to pulled pork.
  • Cornbread
  • Chocolate to attract riches

One food the Portuguese stay away from on New Year’s Eve and Day is poultry. It is believed to make happiness and good fortune fly away. 

Spain

Perhaps you’re familiar with the Spanish tradition of eating 12 grapes, one by one,  at midnight. Tradition dictates that you begin eating your grapes at exactly midnight and complete all 12 before 12:01 if you hope for a prosperous New Year. 

And much like our own “Ball Drop” in Times Square, the Spanish celebrate the striking of the clock in Madrid’s Puerta del Sol square. Thousands of people gather and the atmosphere is very festive with confetti, streamers and plenty of Cava being poured. Many party-goers don red underwear for good luck.

New Year’s Day begins with a luscious breakfast of churros and chocolate. Lunch is lentils with sausage (chorizo) in stew or soup form. The big meal centers around some of the favorite foods of Spain, such as:

  • Cod croquettes
  • Pan con tomate with sausage, a tomato, garlic, and olive oil topping served on toasted Spanish bread and topped with sausage.
  • Seared scallops
  • Prawns
  • Artichokes
  • Roscón de Reyes, a King’s Cake into which a small trinket or bean is baked and the recipient gains extremely good fortune in the New Year.

Argentina

When it comes to fun, there’s no place quite like Buenos Aires! And Argentinians know some of the most interesting ways to ring in the New Year. Traditionally, the celebration begins around 9:00 pm on New Year's Eve with a delicious meal. Here’s the menu:

  • Appetizers include a platter of Argentine-style Empanadas. These are baked rather than fried and filled with ground beef, a slice of green olive, and a slice of hard-boiled egg. This New Year's Eve Empanada signifies the official start of the New Year. Another New Year's Eve appetizer you’ll find in Argentina is Picada. This is a platter of meats and cheeses much like our popular charcuterie. 
  • The Main Meal consists of Asado. This is an Argentinian barbecue and signifies unity with friends and family in the New Year. Diners gather around the grill and share in the bounty. Some hosts also offer roast turkey and pork as these are traditional holiday entrees and serve to underscore the festive celebration.
  • Side Dishes include olive salad and vitel toné, a rich dish of cold sliced veal in a tuna, egg, and mayonnaise sauce. You’ll also find a version of Russian potato salad that combines potatoes, carrots, peas, and hard-boiled eggs.
  • Desserts are not formal but many Argentinians owe their good luck to a slice of pan dulce, or sweetened bread, at midnight.

Some of the non-food customs include stepping the right foot out the door at midnight, wearing pink underwear, and running around the block (or house if you prefer) with a suitcase in your hand to ensure travel in the coming year. We especially like that one!

Chile

Chileans celebrate the New Year and encourage good fortune by eating a spoonful of lentils at midnight. This is a common thing in Europe also. The lentils signify abundance and financial prosperity. The lentils are typically washed down with a lovely Chilean sparkling wine. 

 

Other foods served on New Year’s Eve include sliced meats and cheeses, grapes, and Asado Alemán, a German meatloaf made with ground beef, bread, milk, eggs, onions, and often cooked carrots and always hard-boiled eggs.

Traditions include wearing yellow underwear, placing money on your right shoe for prosperity, and creating a list of everything you wish to leave behind in the old year, then burning it. Some festivities include a paper doll that is set aflame at midnight.

On New Year’s Day, it’s common for Chilean families to celebrate with a New Year’s Lamb. There is no significance other than it is a tradition to prepare lamb on January 1. 

We wish you a very happy New Year and look forward to 2025 as a year of much happiness, prosperity, good health, and good fortune for you and yours. 

 

New year food