Black Eyed Peas -- Southern United States

In the southern United States, it is believed eating black eyed peas on New Year's eve will bring luck for the coming year.  Cheri's friend, the late Jonnie Parkinson, a true Southern lady if ever there was one, was known to hold guests hostage until they'd ingested at a least a spoonful of black eyed peas and greens (see Food #2) lest their luck for the upcoming year be damaged before the year even got under way.

Here are some tasty black eyed pea recipes that your New Year's guests will be happy to chow down on.  Flavor, fiber and good luck!  Who could ask for more?

• Hoppin' John
• Black Eyed Peas with Ham
  
• Black Eyed Peas and Walnut Lettuce Wraps
• Black Eyed Pea Salad
• Chef Mark Miller's Cowboy Caviar
• Lucy Buffett's LA (Lower Alabama) Caviar
  
• New Year's Jambalaya

Greens -- Southern United States

In the southern United States, eating greens such as cabbage, collard greens, mustard greens, kale or spinach on New Year's Eve is said to bring wealth in the upcoming year.  This tradition stems from color similarity between the vegetables and US paper currency.  So in general terms, if you eat green food on New years, it will bring you lots of green money in the new year.

Here are some of our favorite greens recipes to help you and your guests improve your financial standing this New Year's Eve.

• Turnip Greens Southern Style
• Braised Winter Greens with Chipotles and Bacon
• Squash, Leek and Cheddar Souffle with Greens
• Michael Lomanaco's Bitter Greens and Honey Almonds
• Emeril Lagasse's Spinach Cakes
• Warm Spinach Parmesan Dip
  
• Stuffed Cabbage Rolls
• Mini Cheese and Walnut Cabbage Rolls
• Cabbage and Grape Salad with Honey Ginger Dressing
• Slow Cooker Creamy Onion Soup with Kale
• Escarole Soup with Turkey Meatballs

Corn Bread -- Southern United States

One more food tradition from the American South (see also list items 1 and 2) is eating corn bread to bring money in the New Year.  This tradition stems from the golden color of corn bread being similar to the color of real gold.  To make sure there's plenty of gold in the future for you and your New Years guests, here are some of our favorite recipes for corn bread.

• Mrs. Hayes' Corn Bread
• Honey Cornmeal Biscuits
  
• Cranberry Chipotle Corn Bread
• Famous Dave's Corn Bread with Honey Jalapeño Glaze
• Cilantro Corn Bread

Cabbage - Various Cultures Around the World

The Southern custom of eating greens (see list item #2) can be found in other cultures around the world, usually in the form of cabbage.  Like Southern greens, eating cabbage on New year's Eve is thought to bring the ingester money in the upcoming year.  Of course the New Year's cabbage can take many forms depending where in the world you are, from Kimchee in Korea to Sauerkraut in Germany.  In Bosnia and Croatia, both part of the former Yugoslavia, is is customary to eat the traditional beef stuffed cabbage dish Sarma

Should you want to incoporate some global greens into your lucky New Year's Eve diet, here are some of our favorite international cabbage recipes:

• Kimchee -- Korean Fermented Cabbage
• Martin Yan's Cabbage Meatballs
  
• Pressure Cooker Caraway Pork Roast with Sauerkraut
• No Fuss Slow Cooker Pork and Sauerkraut
• Traditional Romanian Stuffed Cabbage
• Bubble and Squeak
• Colcannon

Herring and Pickled Herring -- Germany,  Poland and Scandinavia

German and Scandinavian folklore says that eating herring at the stroke of midnight will bring luck for the next year.  Likewise folks of Polish descent eat Pickled Herring as their first bite of food for the New year to bring luck.  Eating the herring at the start of the year is was said to insure a bountiful catch for fishermen throughout the New Year, and thereby lots of food for everyone.

Any anglers out there who want to insure they catch lots of fish during the upcoming year should check out this traditional German herring recipe.

• Papa Kurt's German Herring Salad

Olie Bollen -- Holland

In Holland, New year wouldn't be New years without Olie Bollen, traditional fruit studded round donuts.  The name of these tasty treats literally translates to "oil balls." Don't let this unappetizing name fool you, Olie Bollen are delicious. The Dutch regularly stud their Olie Bollen dough with raisins, currants or even finely diced apples. Why not use all three?

It is believed eating the small round donuts brings luck because of their shape.  The symbolism being that circular shapes signify a compleye cycle -- or complete year.  As you read through this list, you'll find the round and/or circular theme echoed in other cultuers as well.

If you'd like serve Olie Bollen yourself on New Years (or anytime), click below for the recipe.

• Olie Bollen -- Traditional Dutch Donuts

Grapes at Midnight -- Spain and Cuba

In Spain and Cuba it is traditional for each person to eat exactly 12 grapes at midnight, one grape for each strike of midnight.the clock. The round shape of the grapes signifies the completion of a cycle -- in this case the completion of the previous year -- a theme that resonates through many culures' New Years traditions.  The number 12 symbolizes the 12 months of the previous year.

Round Fruits -- The Philippines

From the Philippines is to collect 7 different types of round fruits. The round shape of the fruits symbolizes money and seven is believed to be a lucky number. Set on the dinner table on New Year's eve, the fruits are believed to bring prosperity and sound financial status for the coming year.

In a more general sense, Filipinos believe it is important to have an abundance of food on the table at midnight in order to insure an abundance of food in the upcoming year.

Pork and Sauerkraut -- /Pennsylvania Dutch

Pork and sauerkraut is the New Years fare of choice for Pennsylvania Dutch families.  The sauerkraut comes from the German tradition of eating cabbage on New Years (see list item #4), along with pork.  Having a pig, and therefore pork, was a symbol of prosperity in many cultures.  Likewise eating pork on New Years symbolizes prosperity for the upcoming year.

Should you want to serve pork and Sauerkraut at your New Years get together, check out the easy recipes below.

• Pressure Cooker Caraway Pork Roast with Sauerkraut
• No Fuss Slow Cooker Pork and Sauerkraut

Noodles -- Japan

Noodles are served at Buddhist temples all over Japan on New Years Eve.  Cheri once got to spend New Years in Tokyo where friends took her to experience two of the country's traditional new year's celebrations.    At the Buddhist temple it was customary to say a prayer and ring the huge temple bell three time before consuming noodles (usually prepared by the temple's ladies organization).  Later she went to a Shinto shrine where huge bon fires were burning small red ornamental rakes -- a good luck symbol thought to help folks "rake in" money during the upcoming year.  The burning rakes were bought at the shrine the previous year.  Before leaving, most folks bought a new ornamental rake to hang on their walls for the new year.

Cod -- Denmark, Italy

Cod is considered a lucky New Years food for the same reason herring is (see List item #5) -- eating it at the start of the year is said to help insure a bountiful catch throughout the upcoming 365 days.  In Denmark they like to serve their cod boiled.  In Italy baccala, or dried salted cod, is the fish of choice for New Years eve.

Green Lentils -- Italy, Hungary

Lentils are considered to be a lucky new Years foods because fo their green color, and round shape symbolizes money (yes, there is a non-sequiter between green paper money and round coins, but this is symbolism folks).  While in Italy the traditional lentil dish is accompanied by a rich pork sausage, the Hungarians prefer their lentils in soup.

Vasilopita -- Greece and Eastern Europe

In Greece, Vasilopita -- a cake baked with a coin inside -- is traditionally consumed at New Years.  The cake commemorates a miracle said to have occurred back in the Ottoman Empire.  Legend has it that a Bishop of Greece recovered a large portion's of the country's riches back from the Ottomans, but when he tried to redistribute them, the people fought over which property belonged to which person.  Saint Basil is said to have asked the women of Greece to bake a cake with the riches inside.  When he sliced the cake, the goods miraculously found their way to their proper owners.

Today, the cake is still a popular New Years tradition in homage to the legend.  It is said that the person who bites into the piece of cake with the coin will have good fortune throughout the upcoming year.  He'll need it for the dental bills that come with a cracked tooth from biting coins.