# What's traditional New Year's day food/drink in your culture?

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-traditional-new-years-day-food-drink-in-your-culture/337346>\
**Category:** Cafe Society\
**Created:** [December 27, 2005, 8:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-traditional-new-years-day-food-drink-in-your-culture/337346 "2005-12-27T20:13:16Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 7\
**Page:** 1

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**Author:** ![tarragon918](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/d26b3c/32.png) [@tarragon918](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/tarragon918)\
**Post date:** [December 27, 2005, 8:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-traditional-new-years-day-food-drink-in-your-culture/337346/1 "2005-12-27T20:13:16Z")

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I was thinking earlier today of what I traditionally cook, for good luck, on New Year’s Eve and New Year’s Day. I usually make black eyed peas or hoppin’ john (which for me is a combo of black eyed peas and rice). This is supposed to bring good luck to the household for the coming year, if it’s the first dish cooked in the New Year. Which got me to wondering what other culture’s traditions are. So please share, especially recipes! 🙂 And Happy New Year, folks. 🙂

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**Author:** ![Nightingale](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/ecae2f/32.png) [@Nightingale](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Nightingale)\
**Post date:** [December 27, 2005, 8:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-traditional-new-years-day-food-drink-in-your-culture/337346/2 "2005-12-27T20:20:28Z")

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My mother and grandmother always cook black eyed peas and turnip or collard greens for New Year’s Day; they represent dollars and cents and are supposed to bring money during the year.

slight hijack: my grandmother refuses to wash clothes on New Year’s Day because of the superstition that she will “wash someone out of the family” (i.e., someone in the family will die during the coming year).

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**Author:** ![vivalostwages](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/v/d07c76/32.png) [@vivalostwages](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/vivalostwages)\
**Post date:** [December 27, 2005, 8:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-traditional-new-years-day-food-drink-in-your-culture/337346/3 "2005-12-27T20:39:42Z")

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Sauerkraut, though I don’t eat much of it.

I would love some hoppin’ john, though.

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**Author:** ![Rebo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/rebo/32/13005_2.png) [@Rebo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rebo)\
**Post date:** [December 27, 2005, 9:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-traditional-new-years-day-food-drink-in-your-culture/337346/4 "2005-12-27T21:00:12Z")

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Black eyed peas.

I usually make ham, scalloped potatoes, black eyed peas, and asparagus.

I can’t wait!

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**Author:** ![Theobroma](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/b5a626/32.png) [@Theobroma](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Theobroma)\
**Post date:** [December 27, 2005, 9:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-traditional-new-years-day-food-drink-in-your-culture/337346/5 "2005-12-27T21:19:40Z")

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My Dutch husband likes Oliebollen, which are (as named) greasy little donut holes. It’s a Dutch New Year’s thing.

I’ve also known folks who have a big heaping helping of “shut the hell up, my head hurts” on New Year’s Day.

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**Author:** ![Mops](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mops/32/16494_2.png) [@Mops](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mops)\
**Post date:** [December 27, 2005, 9:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-traditional-new-years-day-food-drink-in-your-culture/337346/6 "2005-12-27T21:24:03Z")

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Leftover _[Berliners](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Berliner_%28pastry%29)_ and aspirin.

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**Author:** ![Cunctator](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/43a26b/32.png) [@Cunctator](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cunctator)\
**Post date:** [December 27, 2005, 9:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-traditional-new-years-day-food-drink-in-your-culture/337346/7 "2005-12-27T21:34:42Z")

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Champagne on New Year’s Eve. I don’t think there’s anything traditional for New Year’s Day, unless it’s a BBQ with burnt sausages.