Tonight we made an official New Year’s Day dinner!
My mom and Ryan’s mom both always made me and Ryan traditional New Year’s Day dinners when we were kids to ring in the new year with a little extra luck!
Ryan and I figured we’d give the special meal a go for the first time this evening.
Our meal included the following foods for the following reasons:
- Ham (pork): Wealth and prosperity; “Keeps you humble” because pigs can’t fly; Pigs root forward (like chickens scratch backward), signifying looking forward into the new year and progress
- Cooked greens: Good fortune
- Black-eyed peas: Good luck, Wealth
According to some Googling, other foods we didn’t include in our feast that are often enjoyed on New Year’s Day include:
- Cornbread: Happiness
- Peach cobbler: Health
- Rice: Riches
- Hominy: Humility
- Ring cake: Prosperity
- Fish: Abundance, Health
Next year I want to be sure to include cornbread and peach cobbler because a.) they’re delicious and b.) I love what they symbolize!
I wonder if there is anything the accident-prone can eat to encourage safety in the new year?
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Apparently I’ve been living under a rock, because I wasn’t aware of these traditional New Years Day foods! And of course, we’re not eating any of those for dinner…damn. Happy 2012! 🙂
Wow, I had no idea that foods had meanings like that for the new year.
Oh, and Pigs CAN fly (Flying Pig Marathon 2012!!!)
I had a peach bellini today at brunch…that’s almost like peach cobbler, right?!
I hope your finger is feeling better 🙂
Hmmm….wonder what “Pumpkin Spice Ice Cream Means”? (Your dessert last night sounded DELISH!)
Let’s have it mean, “Cold Stomachs, Warm Hearts”.
Happy New Year!
We were going to make fish but ended up with pizza. Hmm. Wonder if that signifies anything?!
We’re having pork and saurkraut! Besides black eyed peas, those were the only other foods I thought were meaning good luck. I can’t believe there are so many other options. Peach cobbler is definitely on my menu next year too!
this is interesting to me as i’ve never really known all of this! your meal looks delicious! maybe next year i’ll have to plan a traditional new year’s dinner with some of the foods you listed. happy new year!
wow this was nice
we just had ham, okra, cornbread and black eyed peas! happy new year!
We always used to have corned-beef and cabbage with black eyed peas! Sad I wasn’t home to let my mom cook those for me this year! Made asparagus and tilapia instead…don’t think it stands for anything but at least its healthy right?!
Huh, I only knew of black eyed peas for New Years meals. Thank goodness that my life has somehow managed to be pretty happy/healthy/fortuitous even without the magic foods! 🙂
Happy New Year, Julie!
Our family is German and we always have pork and sauerkraut…and maybe some good German beer!
Wow, I never knew there were symbolic foods for New Years. I like it! If you find something for the accident-prone, let me know because that describes me perfectly lol. Happy New Year!
I’m currently eating collard greens, black eyed peas, lentils, ham, AND cabbage (what? I need ALL the luck and wealth-ha!)…but after I post this I’m going to scour the freezer with my fingers crossed looking for frozen peaches to see if I can whip up a cobbler. Good to know! 🙂
Aw, just read your post from last night! Im sorry about your finger, you are a little accident prone right now it sounds like but I think everyone goes through a little phase like that here and there, hopefully that is the end of yours! 🙂
happy new year!
Maybe some PB on PB Fingers’ Finger will make it heal faster…..??
If it makes you feel any better my first run of 2012 I face planted and have some pretty sweet scrapes and bruises !!
I just finished up a dinner of fish (flounder), black eyed peas, porkchops, and cornbread. Hoping 2012 gives me as many blessings as 2011 did!
Love your New Years meal! I have never thought about looking up what the foods meant. Thanks for posting it!
I knew nothing of these traditional new year’s foods before today! Looks great! And I’m with you on cornbread and peach cobbler!
We had pork and sauerkraut for dinner tonight! It’s supposed to be good luck, plus it’s easy to make in the crock pot all day and tastes delicious!! Happy New Year 🙂
Happy New Years, Julie. Look forward to your blog for 2012-so motivating!!
Apparently “things happen in 3’s” – so you’ve had the fall in the mini skirt, fallen off the bike and cut your finger. There’s your 3 so hopefully you will be fine from now on.
I loved your New Year’s celebration with Ryan, Sadie and the ice-cream, but maybe that’s because I never do anything. We stay home and watch the New Year count down concert with the kids. Maybe in 15 years when the kids are wanting to go out and party I might do something outside the house then 🙂
Have a great (and accident free) 2012!
I live in Ohio (German heritage) and we’ve always eaten pork & sauerkraut on New Year’s Day 🙂
I had nooo idea that there was actually a symbolic value of a New Years Day meal..I just thought it was to set the year to a yummy tone! Very cool!
I didn’t know about the New Years traditions. I’m from NJ, so maybe it’s more of a southern thing (or maybe my parents were just out of the loop)
Looks delish! Happy New Year 🙂
I’ve never had a traditional NY dinner, but have heard that certain foods are supposed to lead to good fortune… Some cornbread, cooked greens, ham, and peach pie sounds like perfecto 🙂
Okay, post #1 said they weren’t aware of any New Year’s Day foods. Well, I must be living under a rock too. Or maybe it’s a southern thing? Anyways, I was in no mood to cook so I stuck with the boring pasta and salad (and garlic knots). My parents were having pork chops. Don’t think they planned it that way though. Happy New Year!
This is such a fun idea – I didn’t know that different foods symbolized different things. And we just ordered pizza last night – that can’t be good.
It’s funny that peach cobbler is health. It can’t be that healthy for you, but at least it has fruit.
We always have money in our pocket at midnight on new years eve, to bring riches in the new year!
Never knew there were certain foods to ring in the new year. Haha! Looks awesome–sounds fabulous!
Cornbread is redic good! You shouldn’t wait until next year to make some 🙂
Just stopped by your site for the first time. So many of my friends follow you and I know I’ll love to also!
aw, thanks so much for visiting and commenting, diana!
I just started hearing of the pork tradition for the New Year! I’m not sure why I hadn’t heard of it sooner.
I never knew their were New Year’s tradition meals. Guess you learn something new everyday. 🙂
Bad cuts on your hands or fingers are always the worst! You never realize how much you use your pinky until you can’t!
Cornbread is definitely needed! I’ve never heard about lucky food. A lot of them seem like Southern food.
My aunt and uncle were staying at my parents’ on New Years and made exactly your meal! It’s definitely a Southern tradition. They also made corn bread which I got left overs of so a happy year it will hopefully be!
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