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New Year's Foods

Aspen Kumagai



My family comes from the southern part of the US. It's often called the "deep south". It often has a unique culture that is different from the rest of America. According to my grandmother and her grandmother, if we eat these foods on New Year's day we are guaranteed good luck in the new year.

Cornbread is a staple in southern food. It's eaten in almost every meal. (っ˘ڡ˘)っ─∈ The bread looks like cake more than bread. It's also a little sweet like corn. Because of its yellow color, we eat it to receive gold in the new year.

Another favorite food in the south is black-eyed peas. But according to my grandmother, any pea or bean will do! They are round symbolizing coins. That's right! The second item on the menu also brings money in the new year.

Greens because of their green color also represent money! ^-^; Can you sense a theme? Greens is another word for green leafy vegetables such as cabbage, spinach, or collard greens. It's an absolute must for our New Year's dinner!

The next item is pork such as ham. It's a symbol of success and moving forward. Pigs are animals that are always seen digging while moving ahead.

One of the last items is tomatoes. I've been told that because they're red and a little heart-shaped, they symbolize a healthy heart.


There are also foods we are told to avoid! These foods can bring us bad luck instead. Chicken and lobster are surprisingly some of them. Lobsters can swim backward and Chickens are said to scratch backward. This could cause setbacks in the new year. Chickens also have wings and could "fly away with your luck". 

Whatever you eat for New Year's, I hope it's delicious. (っ˘ڡ˘ς) That's what is most important, right?

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This column was published by the author in their personal capacity.
The opinions expressed in this column are the author's own and do not reflect the view of Cafetalk.

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