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These 20 New Year’s Foods Are Guaranteed To Bring You Good Luck In 2025

Get ready to eat 12 grapes at midnight...

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glasses of champagne filled with 12 green grapes
PHOTO: RYAN LIEBE; FOOD STYLING: MAKINZE GORE

Who wants to start a new year off on the wrong foot? Not us! Especially at New Year’s, when it is NOT the time for feeling unlucky. Which is why you should join us in attempting to cram as many lucky foods into our New Year’s as possible to guarantee better luck next year. Even if you’re not superstitious, we think there’s no harm in having a little fun with traditions that have been followed around the world for centuries. What, you couldn’t use a little more health, happiness, and prosperity in the form of, say, dumplings and pretzels? That’s what we thought, us too! We collected our favorite recipes to go with each good luck food here, so you can have the fortunate feast of a lifetime this New Year’s.

We’re all for eating as many of these foods as possible, but if you’d like to get more specific with what you usher into your year, we’ve got you. Looking for prosperity? As Southern tradition dictates, black-eyed peas, greens, and cornbread represent pennies, dollars, and gold, respectively, so eating them together on New Year’s will keep your purse full all year long. Dumplings are also an important part of traditions to welcome in prosperity from around the world, from Chinese 餃子 (jiao zi) to Russian pelmeni. They take a bit of effort to make them and are the perfect activity for you and your family to work on together during the between-Christmas-and-New-Year's limbo.

Looking for more protein with your prosperity? Try incorporating pork or lentils into your meal. Pigs are big and they root forward (rather than backward like chickens), whereas lentils expand a ton when cooked—they both represent abundance and progress in the New Year.

Just looking for some good old-fashioned good fortune? Try the Spanish tradition of eating 12 good luck grapes at midnight on New Year’s Eve—one for every month of the year. In Ireland, one tradition involves banging bread against a door frame to chase away bad luck, while another invites good luck in by sharing the baking bounty with friends, loved ones, and neighbors. We say give both a try! You could also nosh on round sweets like donuts, cookies, and cakes to bring your luck full circle. Now there’s a tradition that’s easy to get behind.

Want even more New Year's Eve inspiration? Check out our favorite New Year's Eve appetizers, our best New Year's Eve desserts, and our top New Year's Eve drinks too.

1

Black-Eyed Peas

new year's style black eyed peas with pork neck bones and collard greens served with corn bread
PHOTO: ROCKY LUTEN; FOOD STYLING: BROOKE CAISON

There are a variety of myths as to where the tradition of eating black-eyed peas comes from, but whichever you believe in, they all say the beans will bring good luck in the form of money in the New Year. As the saying goes, if you "eat poor on New Year's, [you'll] eat fat the rest of the year."

Check out our guide on how to cook black-eyed peas, then try our black-eyed pea salad, our black-eyed pea bruschetta, or our New Year's black-eyed peas (pictured here) to bring prosperity into your home this NYE.

2

Noodles

ramen noodles with bacon and creamy carbonara sauce topped with parmesan cheese
PHOTO: JOSEPH DE LEO; FOOD STYLING: LAURA REGE

Super-long noodles are thought to bring long life in the New Year, especially if you can make them without breaking them in half. Any noodle will do, as long as it's long, so break out the rice noodles, the Italian pasta, the ramen noodles... sky's the limit.

Check out our Dan Dan noodles, our creamy steak fettuccine, our miso Bolognese, our dirty martini pasta, our ramen carbonara (featured here), or our pasta al limone for ideas, then get creative with your favorites.

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3

Round Sweets

rum crumb cake drizzled with icing
PHOTO: LINDA PUGLIESE; FOOD STYLING: MAKINZE GORE

Round desserts, like bundts, donuts, layer cakes, cookies, and more are all believed to bring a full circle of luck in the New Year.

Try our chocolate bundt, our rum crumb cake (pictured here), our mochi donuts, our citrus olive oil cake, or our caramel chocolate chip cookie tart to fill your life with continuous luck all year long.

4

Dumplings

plate of smash dumplings topped with sliced scallions with a bowl of soy sauce in the middle
PHOTO: LINDA PUGLIESE; FOOD STYLING: SAM SENEVIRATNE

Dumplings are an important part of New Year's traditions from around the world, from Chinese 餃子 (jiao zi) and Russian pelmeni to our very Delish take on dumplings, Smash Dumplings (pictured here). They're shaped like little money pouches or the coins themselves, and are meant to represent prosperity, wealth, and health.

The homemade kind are truly a labor of love, so gather some family members and have everyone help with assembly. And don't worry about getting them perfect-looking—even the wonkiest of the bunch are sure to bring health and wealth in the New Year.

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5

Pork

garlic, sour orange, and oregano marinated cubes of pork belly are boiled until tender then fried until deep golden brown, crunchy, and insanely juicy
PHOTO: JULIA GARTLAND; FOOD STYLING: BROOKE CAISON

Eating pork on the New Year is supposed to inspire progress throughout the year to come, both because of pig's girthy size (mmm, prosperity) and the fact that they root forward (rather than backward like chickens). On New Year's, pork is often paired with cabbage in the form of sauerkraut, but we say, anything goes.

Try our oven-roasted pulled pork, our sausages and sauerkraut, our chicharrones (pictured here), our roast pork tenderloin, or our Instant Pot pork puttanesca to get yourself out of a rut in 2024.

6

Grapes

glasses of champagne filled with 12 green grapes
PHOTO: RYAN LIEBE; FOOD STYLING: MAKINZE GORE

In Spain and Mexico, when the clock strikes midnight, people try to eat 12 grapes as quickly as possible because each grape will bring luck for the 12 months ahead.

Try our 12 Grapes Cocktail (pictured here), our Prosecco grapes, our Sour Patch grapes, or our sangria grapes to make yours extra festive.

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7

Donuts

jelly filled donuts topped with sugar
PHOTO: LUCY SCHAEFFER; FOOD STYLING: MAKINZE GORE

Many Germans start the new year by eating lucky "Berliner" donuts, usually filled with jam or a Baileys cream filling. Watch out, though: Old tradition suggests filling one or two with mustard, and whoever gets those will have a year of bad luck (and no lovely jam flavor!).

If you're up for the challenge, our powdered donuts, our paczki (pictured here), our sufganiyot, or our Boston cream donuts are labors of love that are guaranteed to bring you luck in the New Year. Want something a little easier? Our pull-apart jelly donut is baked, not fried, and is perfect for sharing with loved ones.

8

Onions

onions sliced in half topped with cheese
PHOTO: LINDA PUGLIESE; FOOD STYLING: SAM SENEVIRATNE

In Greece, you'll find onions hanging from doorways over New Year's, a tradition that dates back to Ancient Greece when it was thought that onions increase fertility. Now they're a sign of rebirth and expansion (just think of all those layers!).

We're all about alliums, and know just what you should make with all those leftover onions in the days ahead—our Tennessee Onions (pictured here), our French onion soup, our sour cream & onion dip, our baked bloomin' onion, or our pickled red onions.

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9
greens and onions in a creamy sauce in a pan
PHOTO: RACHEL VANNI; FOOD STYLING: ADRIENNE ANDERSON

It's traditional to eat hearty greens like cabbage or kale to bring prosperity in the New Year. Traditionally, they're paired with dishes like black-eyed peas and cornbread, or alongside pork in the form of sauerkraut.We say get creative!

Kimchi, Jamaican callalloo, bacon fried cabbage, air-fried kale chips, our one-pot creamy vegan greens (pictured here), or even a delicious winter salad count in our book, and are sure to help you put more "green" in your pocket all year long.

10

Champagne

champagne jello shots decorated with sprinkles
PHOTO: BRYAN GARDNER; FOOD STYLING: MAKINZE GORE

Popping Champagne to usher in the New Year is a tradition dating back to the 1800s. It was a drink associated with wealth and nobility, so drinking it at midnight (and all night long) is a way to welcome prosperity into your own life for the upcoming year.

You could just drink it straight, but we're big fans of a Champagne cocktail, like our cranberry mimosas, our French 75, our holiday punch, our Champagne margaritas, or our champagne Jell-O shots (pictured here).

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11

Tamales

tamales
ANDREW BUI

Mexican tamales aren’t just fun to eat, they’re a great solo or group project for anyone who loves to cook, and they'll guarantee strong bonds between family and loved ones in the upcoming year.

Make it a party by involving your friends, enlist your partner or spouse for a different kind of date night, or get the whole family involved. Tamale making is a joy, and tamales are a great canvas for different kinds of fillings.

Get the Tamales recipe.

12

Fish

firecracker salmon
PHOTO: ERIK BERNSTEIN; FOOD STYLING: MAKINZE GORE

Fish symbolizes abundance around the world, but the way it's eaten is different depending on where you live. In Asian cultures, people feast on whole fishes around the Lunar New Year, and in Europe, people eat carp, herring, and cod.

We suggest you start a new tradition with one of our favorite fish recipes, like our firecracker salmon (pictured here), our mahi mahi tacos, our Arctic char with pistachio gremolata, or our spicy tuna rolls.

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13

Rice

jamaican rice and peas
PHOTO: RACHEL VANNI; FOOD STYLING: BROOKE CAISON

Whether you're in the American south or all the way in Asia, rice is a classic good luck food for anyone looking to usher in good luck on New Year's Eve (or day).

We enjoy rice in any form it takes, whether it's in our rice and peas (pictured here), rice pudding, rice paper mozzarella sticks, or yes, in Rice Krispies Treats.

14

Cornbread

cornbread
PHOTO: ANDREW BUI; FOOD STYLING: BROOKE CAISON

Sweet or savory cornbread is said to bring prosperity in the New Year (its golden hue literally referring to gold and other riches). Want to take it even further? Add fresh kernels to represent gold nuggets.

Try our classic cornbread (pictured here), our skillet cornbread, our Southern cornbread, or our bacon-topped jalapeño cornbread... heck, a box of Jiffy would do ya if that's all you've got.

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15

Galette De Rois

slice of galette de rois
ANDREW BUI

We bet you've heard of a Mardi Gras king cakes, but do you know about the French galette de rois? Similar treats are the more popular cakes among European countries, with many enjoying the flaky pastry (or similar ones) on New Year's Eve and Day.

Known as banitsa in Bulgaria, rosca de reyes in Spain, and vasilopita in Greece, there's one thing that connects them all: a tiny trinket (a bean, coin, or baby figurine are all popular) hidden in one of the slices. Whoever finds it is said to have good luck the rest of the year.

16

Lentils

lentil soup garnished with parmesan and parsley
PHOTO: RACHEL VANNI; FOOD STYLING: BROOKE CAISON

Round like a coin, lentils represent good luck around the start of the New Year and beyond. They're also a symbol of abundance, since they increase so much in size when cooked.

Try our lentil salad, our vegan crunchwraps, our lentil dal, our coconut curried lentils, or our lentil soup (pictured here) to bring you luck (and TONS of fiber and protein, perfect for kick starting any resolutions).

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17

Pomegranate Seeds

muhammara dip garnished with herbs and pomegranates with crudites
PHOTO: ROCKY LUTEN; FOOD STYLING: LENA ABRAHAM

Pomegranate seeds have always been affiliated with fertility and life. In Greece, the whole fruit is thrown across the floor releasing a sea of seeds that symbolize abundance in the New Year.

If you're not up for making quite that big of a mess, use our tutorial on how to cut a pomegranate, then use them to make our pomegranate martini, our fancy holiday cheese ball, our muhammara dip (pictured here), our Parmesan Brussels sprouts salad, or our pomegranate mimosa instead.

18

Pretzels

cinnamon sugar crunch pretzels
PHOTO: ERIK BERNSTEIN; FOOD STYLING: BARRETT WASHBURNE

The breaking of a New Year's pretzel (or neujahrsbrezel) for luck and prosperity is a long-time German tradition. It can be eaten either at midnight or for breakfast on New Year's Day. Unlike regular savory pretzels, these are made of a sweet enriched dough, sort of like a babka or brioche.

If you're a pretzel purist, feel free to make our homemade soft pretzels, our cinnamon sugar crunch pretzels (pictured here), or even just go store-bought (maybe alongside some homemade pub cheese or funfetti dip?). What's really important is sharing and breaking them with loved ones (the pretzels also represent interconnectedness), so you do you.

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19

Buttered Bread

creamy tuscan butter with herbs
PHOTO: ROCKY LUTEN; FOOD STYLING: MAKINZE GORE

In Ireland, it's said that there are a number of traditions involving bread on New Year's, so many that January 1 is known to some as the "Day Of Buttered Bread." One entails banging bread against a door frame to chase away bad luck, while another invites good luck in by sharing the baking bounty with friends, loved ones, and neighbors.

We know which one we'll be going with—join us in baking some Irish brown bread, sourdough, or brioche, all topped with our homemade garlic butter, Tuscan butter (pictured here), or red wine butter. Bonus: These are the perfect baking project for that limbo time between Christmas and NYE!

20

Oranges & Honey

citrus glazed chicken, brussels sprouts, and orange slices on a sheet pan
LUCY SCHAEFFER PHOTOGRAPHY

Asian cultures believe that eating oranges and honey on New Year's will bring good fortune, wealth, and money.

Our recipes for fruit salad, our jalapeño citrus salmon, or our sheet pan citrus glazed chicken (pictured here) couldn't be any more perfect. They've got slices of fresh orange throughout and are sweetened with orange juice and honey. Bring on the gold.

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