In Spain, New Year's Eve (Nochevieja) is a traditional affair. Families gather to celebrate and watch the television waiting for the bell tower clock in Puerta del Sol, Madrid to strike midnight and the church bells to ring in the New Year.
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| photo courtesy of erikras.com |
This tradition dates back to 1909, when grape growers in the Alicante region of Spain began the practice as a solution to a grape surplus. The idea stuck and spread to Portugal as well as former Spanish and Portuguese colonies such as Venezuela, Cuba, Mexico, Ecuador, and Peru.
There are several foods from across the globe that are considered lucky if eaten on New Year's Day:
Cooked greens are thought to bring financial rewards, as they can look like folded money. In the south of the United States, collard greens are eaten for a prosperous year ahead. The Danish consume stewed kale sprinkled with sugar and cinnamon to bring them good fortune. Legumes are another symbol for money in the form of coins. Lentils and pork are quite popular in Germany, Italy it is green lentils and sausages and in the south of the United States it is black eyed peas and ham hocks. Pork is also considered a lucky food because the fat it is considered a symbol of wealth and the fact that a pig roots forward is considered progress.
In general, be warned about eating lobster as it is thought to leave a person dwelling in the past because the lobster crawls backwards, same for chicken which scratches backwards. In some countries your table must be full at midnight to guarantee plenty of food for the coming year. Traditions vary from place to place but we all seem to be after one goal: Good fortune, plenty to eat, prosperity, and a chance to let go and begin a fresh new year.
Have a Very Happy New Year!
