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Copyright © 2025 Foodies Only
Copyright © 2025 Foodies Only
6 Min
29/12/2025
If the green grapes under the table did not work for you in 2025, then this article backs you up with more good luck superstitions! Believer or not, some extra luck never hurt anybody. From slurping long soba noodles to smashing ruby-red fruit, these New Year’s Eve food traditions span continents and centuries. Given the testy times, everyone could use a bit of extra luck heading into 2026.
As the clock strikes midnight on New Year’s Eve, different cultures around the world turn to food and the customs associated with them, for along with the celebration, certain foods also symbolise hope, abundance, and good fortune. These traditions, which some might say are superstitions, are deeply rooted in history, belief, and community. Whether you’re welcoming 2026 with superstition or simply curiosity, these New Year’s Eve food traditions offer delicious ways to invite prosperity, love, and resilience into the year ahead.
You might know this from social media! The tradition of eating twelve grapes at the stroke of midnight on New Year's Eve is believed to bring good luck and prosperity for each month ahead. This ritual is followed in Spain and other Spanish speaking counties, and is linked to a tradition called ‘las doce uvas de la suerte’, or the twelve lucky grapes. Each grape represents the months of the year, and one is supposed to finish all twelve before the final bell tolls.
Did BEP’s ‘Pump It’ start playing in your head? That could be your anthem for attracting prosperity and good luck in 2026. These peas and greens are eaten by Southerners in the United States on the first day of the New Year, for good luck and prosperity. For the uninitiated, collard greens go by the name of Haak or Haak Saag in some parts of India. In the United States, these leafy greens, which are said to be quite similar to kale, are cooked with ham hocks. Pork and cornbread are also a part of this feast, rooted in Western African traditions.
Turkey is known for its pomegranates, so having a new year custom associated with this fruit is no surprise. The Turks follow the ritual of smashing a pomegranate in front of their homes (ground or doorstep) on New Year's Eve and weddings to usher in fertility, prosperity, and abundance. It is believed that the more seeds scatter the more good fortune is earned. This tradition is also followed in many Greek households.
Eating lentils on New Year's Eve in Italy, shortly after midnight, is a tradition believed to date back to ancient Rome. Romans would give a pouch full of lentils as a gift to wish friends luck and prosperity, with the coin-shaped legumes representing abundance. When it comes to modern day, the cooked lentils are traditionally served with cotechino, a spiced pork sausage. Pork is considered a symbol of abundance, fertility and spiritual strength in Italian culture. This also extends to Latin American countries like Brazil, where the round shape of the lentils symbolises luck.
Vasilopita is a New Year's Day bread, cake or pie tied to Greece and some parts of Southeastern Europe. The cake contains a hidden coin or trinket, and the one who finds it will be blessed with good luck throughout the coming year. Named after Saint Basil, whose feast day falls on January 1st, the cake is cut at midnight on New Year's Eve with great ceremony. The first piece is traditionally for Christ, the second for the Virgin Mary, the third for the house, and then pieces are cut for family members from oldest to youngest, along with anyone present at the gathering receiving a slice.
Fish is integral to Chinese culture, where it is served whole (head and tail intact) during New Year's celebrations because it symbolises prosperity. The Chinese also leave some fish uneaten after the New Year's Eve dinner, to signify surpluses and abundance in the coming year. This tradition is observed across China, Taiwan, and Vietnam during Lunar New Year celebrations. In Poland, carp is the traditional New Year's fish, while in Denmark, boiled cod is served because in parts of Europe, fish represents fertility and abundance.
Toshikoshi soba, meaning ‘year-end noodles’, is eaten on New Year's Eve in Japan, with the tradition dating back to the mid-Edo period (1603-1867). It is said that having a bowl of these noodles is a way of letting go of the year's hardships (soba noodles are easily cut while eating – cutting away hardships). The long, thin shape of soba noodles represents longevity, while the buckwheat plant's ability to withstand harsh weather symbolises resilience and strength. The noodles are typically served in hot dashi broth or cold with dipping sauce, topped with tempura shrimp, fish cake, or green onions.
As New Year’s Eve unfolds and one year gives way to the next, these food traditions are a reminder that hope, abundance, and fresh beginnings are universal desires. Whether you’re counting down with grapes, noodles, lentils, or cake, each ritual adds meaning to the moment and connects you to centuries-old beliefs from around the world. Even if luck remains intangible, the joy of sharing food, stories, and intention makes these traditions worth embracing.
