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For many of us, a traditional New Year’s feast is comprised of Champagne and whatever confetti happens to fall into that Champagne while we’re drinking it. But for lots of revelers around the world, New Year’s is a time to eat symbolic (and perhaps more substantial) treats.
Cultures from nearly every continent celebrate the New Year with their own unique foods, many of which are eaten in the hopes of bringing luck, good health or prosperity in the near future. For example, the Japanese slurp long noodles in the hopes of living long lives; the Italians eat coin-shaped lentils as a way to welcome wealth; and the Dutch munch on fried dough to ward off the knife-wielding goddess Perchta, lest she slice open their stomachs and their innards spill all over their nice New Year’s outfits.
So if you’re looking for a fun way to ring in the New Year that won’t result in a pounding headache or confetti in your teeth, try one of the worldly delights below:
The Netherlands: Oliebollen
On New Year’s Eve in the Netherlands, the Dutch traditionally prepare and eat oliebollen, or small doughnuts studded with dried raisins or currants. The tradition of eating oliebollen (literally “oil balls”) is thought to have originated with early Germanic tribes as a way to ward off the pagan goddess Perchta, who would fly through the skies during Yule and slice open the bellies of disobedient tribespeople. Anyone who had eaten oliebollen, however, was spared, as Perchta’s sword would slide off their full, greasy bellies.
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Spain: 12 Grapes
Lots of people sip Champagne to welcome the New Year, but in Spain (and in some parts of Latin America) they’ll be gulping down the grapes themselves. According to NPR, the tradition of eating 12 grapes at midnight began in the 1880s as a way of “copying the French tradition of having grapes and Champagne on the last day of the year.” The outlet adds that this custom was ultimately…
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Source : foxnews
