Food As Medicine

Around the world, New Year’s celebrations are a feast for the senses, with food as a focal point to welcome prosperity and hope for the following year. Traditional New Year’s cuisines have significant cultural meaning, from hearty dishes representing good fortune to sweet delicacies that promise joy. Every bite conveys a story, tying us to earlier generations while igniting hope for the future. Join me as we travel around the world to explore the flavors and customs behind some of the most cherished New Year’s culinary traditions.

Black Eyed Peas, Greens, and Cornbread

The Southern United States is where we’ll begin this journey. This trio of flavors can be eaten separately but may bring extra luck when eaten together on New Year’s Eve. And here’s why…

Eating collard greens and black-eyed peas is said to have originated during the Civil War. Peas and greens were among the few edible items raiding soldiers left behind because Northern troops believed they were only fit for animals. The black-eyed peas that were “lucky” enough to be left behind would eventually find their way to Southern tables, particularly those of Southern slaves who celebrated emancipation on January 1, 1863, per President Abraham Lincoln’s command (1).  

Like many other traditions, the custom of eating black-eyed peas for the New Year has changed over time. However, most variations of this tradition still center around luck and prosperity, which dates to the Civil War era, when people felt fortunate to have black-eyed peas to eat and help them get through the bitterly cold winter months.

Each of the three dishes enhances the flavor and tradition of the others when served together. The greens stand for paper money, the peas for coins, and the cornbread for gold. Black-eyed peas served with stewed tomatoes also symbolize wealth and health. Some people claim that eating precisely 365 black-eyed peas is necessary for the highest chance of success each day of the upcoming year (2).  

Cabbage

Staying in the South of the United States, let’s discover another New Year’s custom. Along with many other foods that are part of New Year’s celebrations, cabbage has become a symbol of good luck through folklore and superstition. Most people wish for wealth, happiness, and good health in the coming year. The green leaves of cabbage can be considered paper money, and in some recipes, coins are even cooked along with this vegetable. The fact that cabbage is a late-season crop and is at its best when there aren’t many other fresh vegetables available in the middle of winter is one reason it became a symbol of good fortune and health for the coming year. Ringing in the new year with a warm and nutritious helping of cabbage is meant to get you off to a good start. The Midwest has its tradition of celebrating New Year’s Day with cabbage, although it’s in the form of sauerkraut. Shredded sauerkraut strands were believed to represent many individual riches or as a wish for long life. Traditionally, sauerkraut is made ahead of time so that it would be available for winter when fresh foods are scarcer, and preserved food may offer much-needed nutrients (3).  

Beans, Corn, and Squash (aka Three Sisters Soup)

Throughout the United States, there are many Native American tribes. Native American New Year celebrations are celebrated in various ways and months, depending on the culture. Indians used the winter solstice, the movement of the stars, and the lunar cycles to determine the months of the year. Therefore, their New Year celebration could occur at different times each year. The festivities are frequently linked to the return of sacred foods and the change of the seasons (4).

Soup has always been important in Native American culture as a form of nourishment and a way to unite people.

Corn, beans, and squash are the ingredients of the classic Native American soup called “Three Sisters.” In the United States, numerous tribes have their own variations that include corn, beans, and squash native to their location. The soup is relished year-round and frequently served at tribe events.

Because they provide distinct benefits to one another as they develop, the Three Sisters are frequently planted together using companion planting. The squash leaves keep the soil cool, wet, and weed-free, and the beans fertilize the soil with nitrogen, which benefits all three crops. The corn stalks provide the beans a pole to climb, and the bean vines give the corn structure. The crops enhance one another rather than compete; when consumed together, they make a well-balanced meal (5).

Chakalaka

After a little journey over the Atlantic Ocean, we travel to Africa for our next tradition. Chakalaka is a tasty relish made from vegetables. A mainstay of South African cooking, it is well-liked for its savory, spicy flavor. It is served with bread, curry, and stews and is created with vibrant ingredients, including tomato, bell peppers, onions, carrots, and chili. It is also highly versatile because it goes well with almost any meal. Despite being a simple recipe, this dish is truly elevated by the blend of spices used (6).

In Zulu, “chakalaka” means “put all together.” Despite being a popular dish throughout South Africa, its origins were mostly in Johannesburg. History states that Mozambican mine workers in Johannesburg typically prepared beans, vegetables, and spices to eat with putu pap (a cornmeal side dish). They would combine any leftover ingredients to form a nourishing and delicious meal to fuel a hard day’s work. It spread from there throughout South Africa and has become one of the South African street dishes served, especially at celebrations and big gatherings (7).

Onions

With a hop, skip, and jump over the pond, our next tradition brings us to Greece. Many people worldwide see New Year’s as a time for rebirth, which is also the case in Greece. The onion has symbolized growth and regeneration since the ancient Greeks. The explanation is straightforward: onions are considered extremely fruitful because, even when left unattended, the bulbs appear to desire to sprout. According to the Greeks, this is the ultimate symbol of fertility. Therefore, the onion is hung on a door in the household to help members of the home grow and experience a rebirth of their own in the coming year (8).  

Pomegranate

Another Greek custom involves smashing a pomegranate on New Year’s Day. This red-colored, nutritious fruit is considered a symbol of life and good fortune. Likely due to their abundance, the ancient Greeks believed that the pomegranate’s ruby-like arils, or seeds, represented abundance. They also signify good fortune, fertility, and eternity (9).

The Peloponnese or Serres is where the ancient custom of crushing a pomegranate on New Year’s Day first appeared. Today, on New Year’s Day, the man of the house smashes the pomegranate on the front door as the family comes home from church, hoping that the fruit’s juicy, abundant ruby-like segments bring health, pleasure, and joy into the home. Greek custom holds that the more seeds strewn on the floor, the more good fortune will enter the home!

The pomegranate fruit has long been associated with fertility, luck, prosperity, rebirth, and regeneration in Greek culture. Numerous goddesses, such as Persephone, Aphrodite, and Hera, have used it as a symbol (10). That pomegranates are a component of these long-standing customs makes perfect sense, as most New Year’s Day rituals involve ways to bring luck to a home.

Lentils

It’s off to Italia for our next tradition. On December 31st, almost every supermarket in Italy is sold out of lentils. The practice of consuming these legumes has roots in ancient Roman culture. The ancient Romans would give a Scarsella, a leather purse filled with lentils, to friends and neighbors to celebrate the start of a new year and to wish them luck in the hope that the lentils would change into gold coins.

The coin-shaped lentils symbolize prosperity and, once cooked, increase in size, evoking the idea of abundance. Lentils should traditionally be consumed shortly after midnight. The more lentils you consume, the more prosperous, fortunate, and wealthy the coming year will be (11). Not surprisingly, lentils are also a New Year’s tradition in India.

Grapes

Our next tradition (and my favorite) brings us to Spain! This custom is called “las doce uvas de la suerte,” or the “twelve lucky grapes.” As tradition has it, Spaniards aim to eat one grape for every one of the twelve clock chimes that ring in the new year at midnight. The goal is to finish all your grapes before the chimes finish ringing—something that’s easier said than done.

According to one of the many tales that attempt to explain the tradition’s origins, Alicante winemakers allegedly began the twelve grapes superstition in 1909 to sell off their excess grapes.

More likely, however, the tradition dates to the 1880s. It is believed to have evolved from the French custom of celebrating New Year’s Eve with champagne and grapes. The lower classes eventually began eating the grapes to make fun of the wealthy, gathering in public spaces such as the Puerta del Sol with its historic clock tower (12).

Despite being indigenous to Spain, the custom has extended to other South American and Latin American nations. I might embrace this enjoyable custom this year and invite my family to join it as well.  

Oranges

Our last few New Year’s traditions bring us to Asia. Tangerines, satsumas, and mandarin oranges are traditional Chinese New Year presents that signify wealth and good fortune. The small citrus looks like the sun, and because the sun is aligned with the yang (positive) principle, it is a symbol of abundance and happiness. They are used as decorations and gifts when visiting family and friends to symbolize sharing abundance and good fortune. They also promise longer days and shorter nights in Winter Solstice festivities. The tradition quickly spread eastward, and mandarin oranges, often called Christmas oranges, also became a Christmas tradition in Canada, the United States, and Russia.

In Russia, mandarin oranges are traditionally used as Christmas tree and New Year tree decorations. For Russian New Year celebrations, mandarin oranges are practically a necessity. In Soviet times, mandarin oranges were difficult to come by. The small citrus was so scarce that they were served on the Soviets’ tables only once a year, during the New Year holiday. Soon, the aromatic scent and sweet flavor of mandarin oranges became associated with the New Year holiday.

In European holiday tradition, Saint Nicholas put gold coins into the stockings of three poor girls so that they could afford to get married. Over time, the Japanese tradition of giving mandarins as holiday gifts merged with the European story, and mandarins became a symbolic representation of the gold coins and, again, a symbol of good fortune and wealth (13).

As for North America, when the mandarins arrived in the United States from Japan each year, they were shipped across the country in orange rail cars, alerting everyone that the mandarins were back for the holidays. The arrival of the Japanese mandarin oranges soon came to symbolize the beginning of the holiday season and the tradition of giving mandarins as gifts during the holidays spread across the country (14).

Mango

Mangoes are round and sweet and symbolize prosperity. They are particularly lucky when eaten with other round, delicious delicacies like coconut and jaggery (15).

The Hindu New Year is a time to honor the past while optimistically and hopefully looking to the future. Drawing from the Sanskrit terms “yuga” (age) and “adi” (beginning), “Ugadi” signifies the dawn of a new era. Hindus worldwide celebrate the holiday, which is held in March or April, depending on the lunar calendar.

Food is a significant component of the Ugadi celebration, with various delicacies representing wealth, well-being, and joy. Ugadi Pachadi is a well-known dish that features mango and several other flavors. Raw mango, tamarind, jaggery, neem flowers, and other ingredients are combined to make this sweet and tangy chutney. It serves as a reminder to embrace life’s ups and downs with grace and symbolizes the various tastes of life: sweet, sour, bitter, and spicy (16).

In conclusion, New Year’s Eve food traditions offer more than just delicious flavors; they carry the hopes and beliefs of cultures worldwide. From black-eyed peas and lentils symbolizing prosperity to pomegranates and greens representing health and abundance, these dishes reflect our shared desire for a fortunate and fulfilling year ahead. By embracing these meaningful foods, we honor time-honored customs and set the stage for a year filled with luck, good health, and happiness. So, as you celebrate, let your plate be a symbol of the prosperous and wholesome year you wish to create.

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2.) Ballinger, A. (2023, December 26). What’s the deal with peas on New Years? Oliver’s Markets. https://www.oliversmarket.com/whats-the-deal-with-the-peas-anyway/

3.) Rose, S. (2023, November 26). How cabbage became a traditional New Year’s day food. Food Republic. https://www.foodrepublic.com/1452004/why-cabbage-eaten-new-years-day/

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9.) Kokkinidis, T. (2024, January 1). The pomegranate: Greek symbol of good fortune for the New Year. GreekReporter.com. https://greekreporter.com/2024/01/01/pomegranate-the-ancient-greek-symbol-of-life-good-fortune-for-the-new-year/#:~:text=Smashing%20a%20pomegranate%20on%20New,perhaps%20because%20of%20their%20quantity.

10.) XpatAthens.com. (2023, December 20). Why greeks break a pomegranate on New Year’s Day. XpatAthens. https://www.xpatathens.com/living-in-athens/taste-experience/greek-traditions/item/6320-why-greeks-break-a-pomegranate-on-new-year-s-day

11.) Why do Italians eat lentils on New Year’s Eve? Easy Milano. (2023, December 15). https://easymilano.com/why-do-italians-eat-lentils-on-new-years-eve/

12.) Rickman, C. (2023, June 12). 12 grapes at midnight: Spain’s unique New Year’s Eve tradition. Food Republic. https://www.foodrepublic.com/1296466/12-grapes-at-midnight/

13.) Why are Mandarin oranges a symbol of good fortune?. S and J Mandarin Grove. (2019, November 19). https://www.sandjmandarins.com/why-are-mandarin-oranges-a-symbol-of-good-fortune/

14.) Borger, R., & Dewdney, M. (2020, December 18). Citrus holiday traditions. Citrus Industry Magazine. https://citrusindustry.net/2020/12/22/citrus-holiday-traditions/

15.) Indian good-luck foods to ring in the New Year – Aagman Restaurant. Aagaman Restaurant. (2024, November 12). https://aagamanrestaurant.com.au/blog/indian-good-luck-foods-to-ring-in-the-new-year/

16.) Sadaf.com. (2023, April 3). Discovering the flavors of the Hindu New Year: Traditional foods to celebrate Ugadi. Sadaf.com. https://www.sadaf.com/blogs/guides/discovering-the-flavors-of-the-hindu-new-year-traditional-foods-to-celebrate-ugadi?srsltid=AfmBOooFhkB6GI0hbbJDiYeGwSzQyrm0MksAc40NxccFCQ8W8K08EPyb