Are you determined to make 2015 your best year yet? If so, maybe it's time to consider incorporating some lucky New Year's traditions into your year-end dinner routine. Why stick to local food traditions when you might just get extra help from other fortuitous foods eaten elsewhere in the world? Take a look at some of the globe's luckiest food traditions. We assure you, some of them are worth stealing.
United States: Black-Eyed Peas
In many parts of the country, black-eyed peas are a traditional part of the New Year's celebration. Like some other legumes, black-eyed peas are considered a sign of good luck.
Spain: Grapes
Those ringing in la Vispera de Año Nuevo, or New Year's Eve, in Spain consume 12 grapes at midnight [2], as each grape signifies each stroke of the clock. The tradition harks back to 1909, when winemakers in the Alicante region began the tradition. Beware if you get a sour grape: this signifies a tough month in the year ahead.
The Netherlands: Doughnuts
In many cultures, a ring or circle is a symbol of prosperity, so it only makes sense that doughnuts [3] are eaten as part of traditional Dutch New Year's cuisine and thought to bring good fortune.
Eastern Europe: Cabbage
In parts of Eastern Europe, cabbage [5] is considered a lucky vegetable. Its leaves are thought to be representative of paper currency, and so this vegetable and symbol of prosperity is traditionally consumed on New Year's.
Vietnam: Shark Fin Soup
It may be controversial here in America, but in Vietnam, shark fin soup [6] is a popular New Year's dish during the Lunar New Year.