We will be ringing in 2023 this weekend. Let’s hope it will be a great year for us all.
Many homes here in Hawaii will be making ozoni or mochi soup, toshikoshi soba or buckwheat noodles, along with the other traditional foods like black beans or “kuromame,” fish roe or “kazunoko,” and mochi to bring in the new year.
In South Korea, they consider themselves one year older starting in the new year rather than on their birthday, so eat a traditional soup called “tteoguk.” It is a hot soup made of broth, rice cakes, and a mixture of meat and vegetables. It is often topped with eggs, green onions, and roasted seaweed. South Koreans believe this soup will bring good luck.
In Oaxaca, Mexico, “bunuelos” or crispy fritters, drizzled with syrup and served on a ceramic dish is a traditional new year dish. The serving dish, made of ceramic, is important in the custom because after the bunuelos are eaten, the ceramic plate is smashed against the wall or ceiling. This represents “breaking with the past.”
In Germany, pigs represent money and good fortune so if you want a prosperous and lucky year, eating pork at dinner on New Year’s Day is a good idea. But if you are not able to have pork, sugar pigs or “glucksshweins” a small pig-shaped treat, made of sweetened almond paste will do.
Suckling pig is served in Austria on New Year’s Day, where pigs are a good luck symbol, and called “sylvesterabend.” It is named after Saint Sylvester.
In Spain, one must eat twelve grapes between midnight and 12:01 a.m. of Jan. 1. This will grant you twelve wishes. If you eat the grapes within one minute, your wishes will come true in the twelve months of the new year. If you fail to eat them in one minute, it will bring bad luck. The grapes must be sweet as sour grapes means misfortune.
In Turkey, people smash New Year’s pomegranates into their doorway, hoping to see as many seeds burst out of the fruit as possible. This represents good fortune as the seeds represent abundance, fertility, and prosperity.
In Poland, pickled herring is eaten on New Year’s Eve to set the new year off on a right foot, along with meatballs and pate.
In Italy, lentils, served with pork sausage, are eaten, because they symbolize future prosperity.
In Mexico, lentils are placed on doorsteps or are carried in their pockets, hoping to bring good luck for the new year.
In El Salvador, a raw egg is cracked into a glass of water one minute before midnight. In the morning, the shape of the yolk will determine your fortune for the rest of the year.
In Argentina, if you want to keep the job you have, or you want to find a better job in the new year, beans are eaten on New Year’s Day. Any type of beans are fine. On the eve, for a late dinner, pan dulce or sweet bread rolls are served.
Chocolate mousse is served in Sweden. Inside the mousse is rice pudding, with a single almond. Whoever gets that almond in the rice pudding will have good luck for the new year. Other sweets served are creme brulee, pannacotta, and cheesecake.
“Calennig” means “new years celebration” in Wales and refers to skewered apples covered with diced fruit, fragrant herbs, nuts, oats and raisins. Traditionally, calennig propped up n three wooden legs for a centerpiece that is eaten. The shape represents the sun, which is scarce in the winter.
It is important to finish your callennig before noon on New Year’s Day or you will be called a fool.
In Greece, hanging onions on the front door on New Year’s Day, alongside the pomegranate that was hung out at Christmas, is good luck.
A toast to welcome the new year is known as “hogmanay” at midnight with a glass of whiskey and singing Auld Lang Syne is a custom in Scotland. Food and drink are exchanged by neighbors also.
A southern tradition in the states is to eat black-eyed peas and collard greens, which signifies good luck and humility, which in turn brings good fortune. Collard greens, green in color, represent money, good fortune and prosperity.
Foods that shouldn’t be eaten include lobster as it moves in a backward direction and could mean setbacks in the coming year. Chickens scratch backward and are winged so your luck could fly away so are another item that should be avoided for a new year’s dish.
Since we have had a rough couple of years with three viruses amongst us, inflation of food prices, let’s eat foods to bring us the best of luck and happiness, just in case.
Happy New Year 2023!