This article was originally published for New Year’s 2023.
We Pennsylvanians know that on New Year’s Day, we are obligated to eat pork and sauerkraut.
But why?
Yes, it’s a Pennsylvania Dutch tradition that we all follow, but it’s important to know its history. (It’s also fun.)
So here’s why we eat pork and sauerkraut as well as other good-luck foods.
Dutch tradition
Like many other cultures, the Pennsylvania Dutch believe eating pork on New Year’s Day brings good luck because pigs root around with their snouts in a forward motion. After all, we want to move forward, not backward, in the new year.
Sauerkraut is made from cabbage — a symbol of money because it’s leafy and green.
Here’s where to get pork and sauerkraut for New Year’s in the Lehigh Valley
Other good luck foods
If you don’t eat pork or care for sauerkraut, you have other options to bring you luck in 2023.
Among them are:
Lentils: Many cultures usher in good luck by making dishes with lentils because they resemble coins (and we all could use more of those.) Lentils are also delicious and good for you. They are also a great pork alternative for vegetarians.
Greens: Dark leafy greens (collard greens, spinach, kale, etc.) resemble money (plus they are good for you and can fit into any New Year’s resolution to eat more healthy.)
Cornbread: Not only is it really tasty, but it resembles gold.
Ring-shaped cakes: They are considered lucky because they are symbols of coming full circle. A wide interpretation of this one is acceptable. (Even doughnuts, because why not?)
Noodles: A tradition in many Asian countries, eating noodles on New Year’s Day ensures long life.
Wait until Jan. 2 for these foods
Unless you want to tempt fate, you should avoid eating the following foods because they are thought to bring bad luck on New Year’s Day.
Beef and poultry: Think of why we eat pork: Pigs root around, moving forward. Cows eat standing still (which is what will happen to you if you eat beef). Even worse, chickens and turkeys scratch backward. That not what you want in 2023.
Shellfish: Lobsters and crabs swim backward and sideways, and (you probably sense a theme here ) you want to eat only foods that move you forward. (Most fish swim forward, but skip catfish as they are bottom dwellers).
No white foods: In Chinese culture, all-white foods — eggs, white cheese, tofu — are unlucky on New Year’s Day because white is thought to symbolize death.
