Lucky foods for the new year

December 31, 2025 by
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After waking up this New Year’s Day (if you feel like eating, that is), you may celebrate with a traditional meal of ‘lucky’ foods meant to help bring good fortune for the coming year. Foods that have particular symbolism vary depending on culture, but most are associated with wealth, health, and good luck.

Beans and greens are two of these traditional New Year’s foods. It’s thought that the greens represent paper money and the beans resemble coins, so eating a large quantity of either (or both) will increase your fortune in the coming year. These two foods can be found in the rituals of many cultures, although the legumes vary from lentils to black-eyed peas. Pork and cabbage, often served together, are also popular, especially in Europe. 

Soba noodles with two dipping sauces from Saveur Magazine

Grapes play an important role in Spain, where revelers consume 12 grapes just as the clock strikes midnight, each grape representing a coming month in the new year. If you get a sour grape, it might represent a rocky month. This ritual has been happening for over 100 years and has spread to nearby Portugal as well as former Spanish and Portuguese colonies.

In Greece, onions serve as symbols of luck and fertility because they will sprout even when left alone. That is the source of a Greek tradition of hanging a bag of onions from the door on New Year’s Eve. Many Asian countries celebrate the new year with a bowl of noodles, the longer the better because the length is associated with longevity.

Fish, especially whole fish, are another traditional lucky food for several reasons: they can be considered a symbol of abundance because fish swim in schools and because the Chinese word for fish (yu) sounds like the word for “abundance.” They can also serve as a sign of moving forward or they can be a sign of good fortune because of their shiny scales.

Conversely, a handful of foods are associated with bad luck and people are encouraged to avoid these foods on New Year’s, including lobster and chicken. These creatures move or scratch backwards, respectively, which could be interpreted as being a setback.

We will be making a big pot of beans to ring in 2026. Are you eating a traditional ‘lucky’ meal this New Year’s Day?

Category: Holidays & Celebrations

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5 Comments

  • redbird  on  January 1, 2026

    As always, I will be making a variation of hoppin’ John, using Rancho Gordo black-eyed peas, with cornbread on the side. The recipe I’ve used the most in recent years is one on the NYT Cooking site -https://cooking.nytimes.com/recipes/1786-black-eyed-peas-with-andouille-sausage-and-rice. Happy New Year everyone!

  • JimCampbell  on  January 1, 2026

    Last night we had spicy miso ramen with pork, using Chinese egg noodles, so the noodles are covered. Sounds like a good day for fish and chips.

  • sanfrannative  on  January 2, 2026

    My Greek-born mother-in-law makes a Greek/Southern menu! Her black eyed peas have pork but she cooks them in a tomato sauce with tons of olive oil, and her greens are like Greek horta with lemon juice and olive oil. We always look forward to this meal. It always feels like the healthiest thing we’ve eaten in weeks!

  • LeilaD  on  January 2, 2026

    Not really- just went to our favorite restaurant on New Years’ Eve. I was going to make a favorite stroganoff for New Years’ Day, and wound up eating salad with grilled chicken out while shopping. Whoops.

  • Rinshin  on  January 4, 2026

    Always a bowl of toshikoshi soba with tempura shrimp topping on New Year’s Eve for long life which is a tradition in Japan all my life.

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