Celebrate New Year’s Traditions from Around the World
As the year draws to a close, people around the world gear up to welcome the New Year with unique and fascinating traditions. These customs range from symbolic foods to quirky rituals, each with its own cultural significance. Let’s explore some of these time-honored traditions, including why you might want to take an empty suitcase for a stroll or cook up a pot of black-eyed peas and cabbage as you ring in the New Year.
1. Taking a Stroll with an Empty Suitcase
In many Latin American countries, particularly in Colombia and Mexico, the tradition of walking around the block with an empty suitcase is believed to bring a year full of travel and adventure. On New Year's Eve, as the clock strikes midnight, eager travelers grab an empty suitcase and take a quick walk around their neighborhood. Whether you’re dreaming of an exotic vacation or a chance to explore new places, this fun and symbolic ritual might just help make those travel dreams come true!
2. Feasting on Black-Eyed Peas and Cabbage or Eating Hoppin' John
In the southern United States, a hearty meal of black-eyed peas and cabbage (or collard greens) is a New Year’s staple, with each food believed to bring good fortune in the coming year. Black-eyed peas are thought to symbolize coins, representing wealth and prosperity, while cabbage or greens stand for paper money. This comforting and savory dish is often cooked with pork, adding richness and flavor, making it not only a tasty tradition but also a hopeful one. Similar to the black-eyed peas tradition, Hoppin’ John is a dish made of black-eyed peas, rice, and pork.
You can shop for black-eyed peas, cabbage, and all your New Year's ingredients online or in-store at Brookshire Brothers to prepare your own lucky meal at home!
3. Spain: Eating 12 Grapes at Midnight
In Spain, and many Latin American countries, the tradition of eating 12 grapes as the clock strikes midnight is a beloved New Year's Eve custom. Each grape represents good luck for each month of the coming year. The key is to eat one grape with each chime of the clock—something that’s harder than it sounds! This sweet and slightly frantic tradition is a fun way to ensure good fortune for the year ahead.
For your own New Year's Eve celebration, grab a bunch of fresh grapes from Brookshire Brothers to partake in this Spanish tradition.
4. Denmark: Smashing Plates
In Denmark, it’s believed that smashing plates on friends’ and neighbors’ doorsteps will bring good luck. Throughout the year, people save old dishes to break on New Year's Eve. The bigger the pile of broken dishes on your doorstep, the more friends you have and the better your luck will be in the coming year.
5. Soba Noodles (Japan)
In Japan, eating soba noodles on New Year’s Eve is a tradition that symbolizes longevity and the cutting off of the past year's hardships. The long noodles are eaten as part of a meal called “Toshikoshi Soba” (year-crossing noodles).
6. Scotland: First-Footing
In Scotland, “first-footing” is a cherished New Year's tradition. After midnight, the first person to enter your home is believed to bring good luck for the year. Traditionally, the "first-footer" should be a dark-haired male, and he should bring gifts like coal, shortbread, or whisky. This custom is part of the larger Hogmanay celebrations, which are some of the most vibrant New Year's festivities in the world.
7. King Cake (France and New Orleans, USA)
In France and New Orleans, King Cake is a popular New Year's and Epiphany tradition. The cake is baked with a hidden trinket inside, and the person who finds it in their slice is said to have good luck for the year. The cake is often decorated in festive colors, adding to the celebratory atmosphere.
8. Pickled Herring (Scandinavia and Eastern Europe)
In many Scandinavian and Eastern European countries, eating pickled herring at the stroke of midnight is believed to bring prosperity for the coming year. The silver color of the herring is said to symbolize wealth and abundance.
9. Salt in Pockets (Various Cultures)
In some cultures, carrying salt in your pocket on New Year's Eve is believed to bring good luck, protection, and prosperity for the coming year. Salt has long been considered a symbol of wealth and purification. In certain traditions, sprinkling salt around the home or placing a small amount in one's pocket is thought to ensure a fresh and positive start to the New Year.
10. Lentils (Italy)
In Italy, lentils are a traditional New Year's dish, symbolizing wealth and prosperity due to their coin-like shape. They are often served with pork sausages (cotechino) to add to the richness of the meal and to ensure a prosperous year ahead.
11. Round Fruits (The Philippines)
In the Philippines, it is customary to serve 12 round fruits on New Year's Eve, with each fruit representing a month of the year. The round shape symbolizes coins and is believed to bring wealth and prosperity.
These are just a few of the many fascinating New Year's customs observed around the world. Whether you’re planning to pack your suitcase for a quick walk around the block, cook up a lucky meal of black-eyed peas and cabbage from Brookshire Brothers, or perhaps even smash a plate or two, these New Year's traditions offer a delightful glimpse into how different cultures celebrate the promise of a fresh start. As you ring in the New Year, why not incorporate one of these global customs into your own celebrations? Here’s to a year filled with adventure, prosperity, and good fortune!