15 Best New Year's Foods to Eat for Good Luck in 2023

Before the clock strikes midnight on Dec. 31, people in Spain and Spanish-speaking countries around the world partake in a tradition called las doce uvas de la suerte, the 12 lucky grapes. The goal is to eat the full dozen before midnight to ensure good luck in the new year, according to NPR. Nod to this tradition with one of our go-to grape recipes, like Grilled Grapes or Hazelnut-Crusted Grapes as an appetizer, Fresh Green Pea Soup with Grape Salsa to start your meal, snack-worthy and kid-friendly Grape Jamwiches, or perhaps a Grape and Ginger Tart for dessert.

According to CNN, Kransekage is a wreath cake tower that consists of multiple rings of cake piled on top of one another. The desserts are a part of Norway and Denmark's New Year's Eve traditions. The cake is made with marzipan, a sweet almond paste, and is often built around a bottle of wine or Aquavit (a herbaceous Northern European spirit) in the center. Though it's a popular pick for ringing in a new year, it can be decorated for any special occasion.

Tamales are a traditional Mexican dish made from corn dough stuffed with meat, cheese, and anything else you could possibly want, and then wrapped in a banana leaf or corn husk. Though tamales are eaten year-round and on most special occasions, they take on a special meaning during the holiday season. Families often gather together to make tamales, assigning one aspect of the cooking process to each individual person, per CNN. On New Year's, tamales are served with Menudo, a tripe and hominy soup. Want to wrap some tamales into your NYE plans this year? Check out our recipes for savory Corn and Black Bean Tamales or sweet Strawberry Tamales; or, opt for the dish in pie form, like our Tamale Pies, Pork Tamale Pie, or an easy No-Bake Tamale Pie.

These Dutch treats are made from frying small balls of dough stuffed with raisins or currants in a pan of hot oil, hence the name Oliebollen, or oil balls, according to Netherlands-based magazine The Dutch Review. Known in the United States as Dutch Doughnuts, oliebollen are topped with powdered sugar, similar to zeppoles or beignets. Not a fan of raisins or currants? These sweet treats can also be made with other ingredients mixed into the dough, like cinnamon or apple pieces. The dessert is often eaten on New Year's Eve and washed down with Champagne.

The Bulgarian banitsa is one of the many round cakes eaten around the world on New Year's Eve, with meaning baked into its circular silhouette. The shape signifies that the old year has come to an end, and the new year gives you a chance to start fresh, according to Bulgaria National Radio. The banitsa is traditionally made with filo pastry, eggs, and fat, but recipes vary in different parts of the country. Regardless of what a certain regional recipe calls for, you'll always find twigs or other sticks placed inside the dish, each one representing well wishes for your relatives.

According to Latin media company mitú, the Roscas de Reyes, or king's wreath, is a brioche-style cake, filled and topped with candied fruits. The cake is often paired with traditional Mexican hot chocolate, to highlight the indigenous origins of chocolate. Inside a Roscas, you'll find at least one, if not multiple, plastic babies representing the newly born Jesus Christ.

In China, Japan, and other Asian countries, it's customary to eat long noodles, which signify longevity, on New Year's Day and during the Lunar New Year, according to The Washington Post. Since the noodles are never to be broken or shortened during the cooking process, the typical preparation for "Long-Life Noodles" is a stir-fry. Looking for some fresh ideas to slurp up this NYE, check out our recipes for Tofu and Vegetable Stir-Fry with Noodles for a vegetarian-friendly option; or, consider this Beef, Vegetable and Noodle Stir-Fry or Easy Turkey Stir-Fry, while seafood fans will enjoy this Shrimp Stir-Fry.

A beloved year-round favorite, cornbread is especially venerated as a New Year's treat in the southern United States. Why? According to Southern Living, the cornbread color resembles that of gold. To ensure extra luck, some people add extra corn kernels, which symbolize golden nuggets. You can keep it classic with our Buttermilk Cornbread recipe, choose a cheesy variation like Jalapeño and Cheddar Skillet Cornbread or Cheese and Pepper Cornbread, or go for something sweet like Cinnamon Buttermilk Cornbread with Cumin and Cardamom Honey Butter or Pecan-Apricot Cornbread.

Pomegranates represent good luck in Turkey for many meaningful reasons. The rich red hue, which represents the human heart, denotes life and fertility; their medicinal properties represent health; and the abundant, round seeds represent prosperity—all things to hope for in any fresh start. But you don't necessarily need to eat the tangy, juicy fruit to receive the benefits. According to Daily Sabah, a Turkish news source, smashing a pomegranate in front of the home is said to bring prosperity in the coming year. Want to savor the lucky fruit in addition to (or instead of) smashing it this New Year's Eve? Sip on a Pomegranate-Thyme Spritz or some Pomegranate-Apple Cocktails, serve Pomegranate-Glazed Salmon as a main course, or go for a dessert like Pomegranate Panna Cotta or Pomegranate Sorbet.

Though the number of pieces varies by region, eating any round fruit is a common New Year's tradition. For example, people in the Philippines and Spain eat 12 round fruits to represent prosperity, as the shape resembles that of silver and gold coins, according to Spruce Eats. The options are endless when it comes to recipes with circular shaped fruits, from Honey-Poached Oranges to Anne Hathaway's Stuffed Peaches, and Sautéed Plums to Roasted Apples; or, get a double dose of round fruits with our Tomato & Watermelon Salad.

From the coastal American South to Europe, people eat green leafy veggies — including kale, collards, and cabbage — on New Year's Day because of their color and appearance, which resembles paper cash. Spruce Eats notes that the more greens you eat, the more prosperous you'll be (and the healthier, too!). If you want fresh inspiration for ways to get your greens in, we've got some great recipe ideas, whether the leafy veggies are the main event, like this Skillet Stuffed Cabbage or Kale Salad with Glazed Onions and Cheddar, or a perfect side dish (Mustard Greens and Chard with Lemon Vinaigrette or Creamy Garlic and Herb Spinach, anyone?), or a tasty and nutritious topping, like this Mushroom and Arugula Salad Pizza.

According to Doris Lum, a Chinese cuisine expert, the Chinese word for "fish" sounds like the word for "abundance," one of the many reasons fish has become a go-to good luck food. Also, that it's important for the fish to be served with the head and tail intact to ensure a good year, from start to finish, according to Good Luck Life, Rosemary Gong's book about Chinese celebrations. Check out our recipe for Salt-Baked Fish or Mediterranean Grilled Sea Bass, or add some kick with Spicy Whole Fish Grilled in Banana Leaves or Blackened Fish Tacos.

A popular New Year's meal in Italy is Cotechino con Lenticchie (green lentils with sausage) because of the legume's greenish color and coin-like appearance, according to NPR. To delve even deeper into the nutritious ingredient's significance, when cooked, lentils plump with water, symbolizing growing wealth. Lentils are also considered good luck in Hungary, where they're often eaten in soup form. There are lots of ways to add lentils to your New Year's Eve feast, from serving Indian-Spiced Lentil Soup as an appetizer or adding Lentil Hummus to your dip spread, whipping up Lentil Broccoli Falafel Bowls With Jalapeño-Herb Tahini or this Curried Tomato Coconut Lentils with Gingery Yogurt, or this high-proteinSteak with Lentil and Grapefruit Salad.

In some countries, including Cuba, Spain, Portugal, Hungary, and Austria, pigs symbolize progress. Some say it's because these animals never move backward, while others believe it's all in their feeding habits (they push their snouts forward along the ground when rooting for food). And the luck factor isn't limited to actually eating pork — foods shaped like pigs (think cutout cookies) count, too. Add some good luck to your bread course with these Hawaiian Pork Pull-Apart Rolls, or make it the main event with Pork and Peach Kebabs with Grilled Green Beans, some Saucy Kansas City-Style Pork Chops, or Cuban Grilled Pork.

Considered good luck due to their penny-like appearance and abundance, Spruce Eats notes that these peas, enjoyed in the southern United States, are traditionally served in a dish called Hoppin' John. On the day after New Year's Day, leftover "Hoppin' John" becomes "Skippin' Jenny," meant to demonstrate frugality and promote prosperity in the new year. Keep it traditional with our recipes for Quick Hoppin' John or Louisiana Hoppin' John. Or, mix it up by serving Black-Eyed Pea Salad with Tomatoes and Peppers to start the meal, or a side like Garlicky Black-Eyed Peas with Spinach and Bacon or Black-Eyed Peas with Coconut Milk and Ethiopian Spices.