Best New Year's Recipes

The best New Year's Day recipes are recipes that have stood the test of time. The recipes vary across cultures and countries; some are traditional and are steeped in history and lore. Others are relatively new.

New Year's Day is a time for families to gather and usher in the new year as well as reflect on the previous year. As with any holiday, people love to party and that means food.

Many different recipes are served on New Year's to celebrate New Year's Day and some are said to bring luck throughout the year. Depending on the culture, these foods can range from beans to grapes. But we can't forget the traditional New Year's Day Toast, complete with champagne.

The wives' tale says everyone should "eat poor on New Year's, eat fat the rest of the year."Taste of Home: New Year's Recipes

New Year's Day is a very old holiday, and its early predecessor is believed to be from ancient Babylon. They would celebrate the first New Moon after the Vernal Equinox 4000 years ago.http://new-years-day.com/new-years-history.htm The New Moon was usually in March, but it was moved to January because of a civil war in 153 B.C. With the Julian calendar, January 1st was recognized as the New Year instead of March. New Year's Day was moved back to March in Medieval Europe. In 1582, the Gregorian calendar returned New Years to January 1st.http://www.infoplease.com/spot/newyearhistory.html

In the early days of America, New Year's Day was a day to open your doors to the whole town. They would drop by at their leisure and sample the variety of food. The practice originated in New York and spread throughout the country quickly.The Food Timeline: American New Year Food Traditions

Hoppin' John is a dish traditionally served on New Year's Day that has roots in the American Civil War. The legend says that the town of Vicksberg, VA ran out of food while being attacked, but found a reserve of black-eyed peas that helped sustain them.http://www.examiner.com/x-21032-Jacksonville-Beach-Food-Examiner~y2010m1d1-New-Years-Day-food-traditions-around-the-US-and-around-the-world

Many households eat foods that are considered lucky on New Year's Day. In the southern United States, the lucky food is Black-Eyed Peas. Other lucky foods include cabbage, lentils, pork and sauerkraut. On the other hand, it is considered bad luck to eat turkey or chicken, or as the legend has it, you will spend the upcoming year scratching in the dirt for food.Snopes.com: New Year Superstitions

Spain has a tradition dating as far back as 1909, which has since spread to other Latin countries. They consume twelve grapes at the stroke of midnight, each grape denoting a particular month. It is a form of fortune telling. If, for example, the second grape tastes sour, it would mean February will be a tumultuous month.http://www.epicurious.com/articlesguides/holidays/newyearsday/luckyfoods

Cake, especially round cakes, are also very popular on New Year's Day. Italy, Poland, and Hungary all eat donuts. In some countries, like Mexico and Greece, it is customary for the cake to contain a special "prize" in the middle, like fruit or a coin.http://www.epicurious.com/articlesguides/holidays/newyearsday/luckyfoods

Lobster is considered unlucky because they move backwards and therefore can cause bad luck. In Germany and the Philippines it is customary to leave food on the table after midnight, ensuring a prosperous year.http://www.epicurious.com/articlesguides/holidays/newyearsday/luckyfoods