Did you know?
According to American traditions, two foods are thought to bring good luck if eaten on New Year’s Day: black-eyed peas cooked with ham (the richness of the meat symbolizes prosperity) and cabbage (which is thought to bring the blessing of money — the green leaves — in the new year).
In other countries, people eat foods that are round, symbolizing the continuity of time and the seamless end of one year and beginning of the next. Examples include doughnuts (Holland), lentils and round sausages (Italy) and candied chestnuts (France).