Lucky New Year Foods from Central and Eastern Europe
Miniature pigs made of marzipan are considered lucky in places like Austria and Germany.
All around the world people eat specific foods to bring good luck, longevity, and prosperity for the upcoming year.
The following is a list of how countries in Central and Eastern Europe celebrate the new year with food.
Austria
Suckling pig is eaten and the table is sometimes decorated with miniature pigs made of marzipan or chocolate. The pig symbolizes good luck and fortune in the year to come.
Croatia
In Croatia, minced beef and rice is rolled into large cabbage leaves. This sarma is said to bring health and wealth.
Germany
Germans enjoy fish for New Year’s. Folklore says that herring should be eaten at midnight to ensure luck. Germans also feast on roast pork, sauerkraut and sausages.
Hungary
A very lucky dish is a suckling pig with a four-leaf clover in its mouth. The custom of eating pork on New Year’s is based on the idea that pigs symbolize progress. The animal pushes forward, rooting itself in the ground before moving, and the forward movement indicates prosperity for the future. Lentil soup is also another lucky dish prepared for New Year’s as it’s green color and round shape symbolize money.
Poland
Bread is baked everywhere in Poland for New Year’s. The dough is often shaped in the form of animals like rabbits, sheep, geese, and cows to assure wealth and good luck. Breads in round or ring shapes are also very lucky. In some areas of Poland, paczki or donuts are baked.
Romania
In Romania, lucky foods include minced meat in cabbage rolls, sausages, cookies and all sorts of goodies, because it is believed that if the New Year dinner is rich, so will the next year. Palinca which is a plum brandy is a very popular drink associated with New Year celebrations.
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Category: Facts & Information
