Countdown to New Year’s Eve: Foods to try for good luck

With a new year on the horizon, preparations will soon be underway for celebrations to mark the moment we step from 2022 into 2023. Whether you’ll be celebrating alone, hosting or attending an intimate gathering or going to a major New Year’s Eve party, we’ve put together a list of foods you can try to bring some good luck into the new year with you. 

Grapes

According to Delish, when the clock strikes midnight in countries like Spain and Mexico, people try to eat 12 grapes as quickly as possible because each grape will bring luck for the 12 months ahead.

Delish even has a great Prosecco Grapes recipe for the occasion if you’d like some grapes with a twist.

To make them, pour prosecco and vodka over grapes in a large bowl. Thereafter, let them soak in the fridge at least one hour.

After the hour has passed, drain the grapes in a colander and pat dry. Then, transfer the grapes to a small baking sheet and pour sugar on top. Shake the pan back and forth until grapes are fully coated in sugar and they’re ready to serve. 

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Recipe of the day: Stir-fried shacha lamb noodles

Greens

It is also thought to bring prosperity in the New Year when you eat hearty greens like cabbage or kale during your New Year’s celebrations so they would make a great side dish to accompany your other New Year’s celebration dishes. 

Noodles

While the other foods are said to bring luck and prosperity, super-long noodles are thought to bring long life.

Any noodle will do, as long as it’s long and you can make them without breaking them in half.

ALSO READ: Four mouthwatering recipes to recreate using 2-minute noodles

Pomegranate Seeds

The tradition of consuming pomegranate seeds to usher in the new year comes from Greece where the whole fruit is thrown across the floor releasing a sea of seeds that symbolize abundance in the New Year.

Enjoy the seeds in a salad or a cocktail for your celebrations. 

Fish

“In Asian cultures, people feast on whole fishes around the Lunar New Year, and in Europe, people eat carp, herring, and cod,” writes Delish. 

Perhaps, you could try serving your fish whole during an intimate dinner where dishes are shared with loved ones in order to invite abundance into your new year. 

You could even turn it into an annual tradition. 

READ NEXT: Easy lemon butter fish recipe

Round Sweets

It’s not just mains that bring good luck. Round desserts, like bundts, donuts, layer cakes, cookies, and more are all believed to bring a full circle of luck in the New Year.

Buttered Bread

Even something as simple as buttered bread can bring luck according to the Irish who observe a number of traditions involving bread on New Year’s. 

Delish reports that there are so many traditions of that nature that January 1 is known to some as the “Day Of Buttered Bread.” 

And it’s not just about eating the bread either. You’re expected to bang the bread against a door frame to chase away bad luck.

In other instances, the luck comes from sharing the fresh bread you’ve made with friends, loved ones, and neighbours.

Dumplings

Due to the fact that they’re shaped like little money pouches or the coins themselves, and are meant to represent prosperity, wealth, and health, dumplings are an important part of New Year’s traditions from around the world, from Chinese jiao zi to Russian pelmeni. 

Homemade dumplings are also considered to be a true labour of love, so Delish advises gathering some loved one and having everyone help with assembly. 

Champagne

“Popping Champagne to usher in the New Year is a tradition dating back to the 1800s. It was a drink associated with wealth and nobility, so drinking it at midnight (and all night long) is a way to welcome prosperity into your own life for the upcoming year,” advises Delish.

This is a sentiment shared by ABSA which hosts an annual champagne festival aimed at celebrating the fine beverage. 

The event is hosted annually to celebrate champagne – and champagne only –  a beverage that Head of Corporate Reputation and Integrated Communications Absa CIB Benedict Maaga considers the go-to beverage to bring out when cementing friendships and celebrating other momentous occasions like relationships with clients that cement future success.