New Years Day meal traditions

[Richard L]

I was born and raised in northern Ohio (Cleveland area) and my Irish/German/Slovenian parents had some special ethnic New Years Day meal traditions to help promote a prosperous new year.



As I grew up, it was our tradition to always eat Pork/Ham and Sauerkraut (or cabbage) on New Years day. My wife was from Louisiana, and her family tradition was to have Mustard Greens and Blackeye peas in the New Years meal.



So, wanting to be ethinicly correct for both traditions, we have always had Pork or ham, Sauerkraut, Mustard Greens, and Blackeye peas as part of our New Years day dinner, which I think is a very Southern tradition.



I am curious as to if anybody else has any New Years Day meal traditions that include special items that are served on New Years??



...Rich

 

[H D]

I don't include them in my traditions, purposely at least, but my dad's side of the family (from NW PA and similar ethnic background as your parents) says that you eat turkey on Thanksgiving as a way of looking back, since turkey's scratch backward, and eat pork on New Years as a way of looking to the future, since swine root forward.

 

[Robert Thomas]

Rum on Christmas day - all day long :supercool:



Beer on New Years Eve - 11AM to 3AM :haveabeer:



New Years Day - Advil 7AM - 2PM :throwup:

 

[Robert Caffyn]

My wife starts with a crab and cheese fondue and a fresh bagguette. For dinner, pork loin cooked in beer and onions(makes a great gravy) sauteed asparagus(garlic, ginger and soy sauce) and smashed potatoes. Can't wait to get through the Christmas ham! Bob

 

[Steve McKellop]

Jowls, Black-eyed peas, greens and cornbread .......... wouldn't have it any other way! :haveabeer::grin:

 

[Matt DeFina]

Leftovers... Finger food from the party the night before.

 

[Gary DiPietroSr]

Prime rib!

 

[EddieS'04]

Black eyed pea's, if I get a chance. Dont make a point to do any particular thing.

Basicly not superstictious.Nothing against those that are.

Maybe my bad luck is from mirrors. I deleibrately broke.:bwahaha:

 

[Richard L]

Eddie,

I'm not supersticious either (Knock on wood..) :bwahaha:



I have to eat on New Years anyway, so why not eat something that people traditionally associate with a prosperous new year, and hope there might be a shred of truth to those traditions even if they only gives you a more positive outlook as you head into the new year ...Most of us need all the help we can get..:grin:



...Rich

 

[EddieS'04]

...Most of us need all the help we can get..

Agree'd..expecialy the older we get...:bwahaha::supercool:

 

[Dominoelover thegamenotthepizza]

My Grandmother had this every New Year that I could remember and it seemed to work.



Herring and Beer, Money all Year! :haveabeer:

 

[Andy Chase]

My step-dad's family makes a big prime rib roast every new years as a send off to his mom and dad who used to go to AZ for the winter. They stay in MN year round now, but we still eat Prime rib.

 

[Gavin Allan]

Home made clam chowder made with several sticks of real butter and lots of bacon!

 

[rod denton]

sorry i gettin late on this but here goes from the irish sidenew year day dinner corned beef and cabage is the standard

 

[Thomas Rogers]

We had pork and sauerkraut that simmered all day in the crock pot for dinner on New Years day. It is supposed to bring good luck the whole year. PA-Dutch are here in southeastern PA.



TJR

 

[Bill V]

Years ago, our families New Year's meal traditions were primarily predicated on the tradition of having all the main college bowl games on TV that day, turning it into a big day-long tailgate party. However, that all started falling apart a few years ago, as the tradition of having all the main bowl games occur on New Year's Day started falling apart as well.



Now, New Year's meal is typically yet another attempt at finishing off the Christmas meal leftovers.

 

[Richard L]

TJR,

That's the same tradition I grew up with...Pork and Sauerkraut (or cabbage) on New Years. That came from my Mother's side of the family who were also PA Dutch. We have relatives in Penn-Run, PA (Western PA, about 9 miles southeast of Indiana, PA.



My late wife was from Baton Rouge, LA and their traditional New Years meal had to have Mustard Greens and blackeye peas. When we got married we combined our traditions...and surprisingly, they all go together very well.



...Rich