Pork, sauerkraut and other traditions to ring in a prosperous new year

After a tumultuous 2022, we could all use a little luck next year. Here are some traditions to ring in 2023:

Eating pork and sauerkraut

The New Year’s Day meal, popular in Western Pennsylvania, comes from the Pennsylvania Dutch, who brought the Germanic tradition of eating pork and sauerkraut with them to America. Fresh pork was a prime dinner choice for Christmas and New Year’s meals for early Pennsylvania Dutch settlers because of the timing of winter hog butchering. Sauerkraut was served as a side during cabbage harvesting season in the winter.

But it wasn’t just a practical meal — it’s also considered good luck for the year ahead. Pigs root forward, a symbol of moving ahead into a new year. The cabbage used in sauerkraut can symbolize money, prosperity and long life.

Some Pennsylvanians have added a more recent touch to the holiday staple: hot dogs. The reason for adding hot dogs to the dish are unclear, but it could be an Americanized version of kielbasa or other Eastern European sausages, or just a way to make the meal feel kid-friendly.

Enjoy a New Year’s pretzel

The lucky New Year’s pretzel is another tradition German settlers brought to the region. The pretzel, which is said to bring good luck for the new year, is often served sweet rather than savory. They can be finished with glaze, nuts and candied fruit for a sweet treat to accent a New Year’s meal.

Try international New Year’s cuisine

While many Western Pennsylvanians have certainly had pork, sauerkraut and pretzels on the first day of a new year, there are a plethora of other lucky meals from around the world to try Jan. 1.

Black-eyed peas — sometimes served with rice and bacon or ham in African cultures — are said to bring prosperity for a new year. The peas represent pennies. Serve them with greens — symbolizing dollars — and cornbread — symbolizing gold — and you have a recipe for wealth.

Pomegranates are a symbol of fertility and abundance throughout the Mediterranean and Middle East. And if you’re not a fan of eating pomegranates, you could borrow the Greek tradition of smashing them against the front door for luck instead.

Tamales are a common holiday dish that have been a cornerstone in pre-Hispanic Mexican cuisine dating back to 8000 to 5000 B.C. Traditionally, family and friends gather to cook the dish together.

Eating round fruits at midnight is a tradition that can be traced to Spanish colonists. The shape of a round fruit is indicative of round gold and silver coins. There are two takes on this tradition.

You can eat 12 grapes at the stroke of midnight or you can take a bite of 12 different fruits when the clock strikes 12. Apples, melons, oranges and peaches are often among the 12 round fruits used for this tradition.

In Italy, eating lentils for luck shortly after midnight is a tradition that dates back to ancient Rome. Ancient Romans would offer friends and family pouches of lentils as gifts to wish them luck and prosperity in the new year. The tradition persists, with many Italians using lentils in a variety of meals for New Year’s Eve and New Year’s Day. The more lentils you eat on New Year’s, the more luck you’ll have throughout the year.

Cheers to Champagne

For many, midnight will be marked with a toast. The history of Champagne dates to the 16th century, when European elites were the only ones wealthy enough to sip the luxurious drink. As the price declined, Champagne became a common celebratory drink for special occasions and a symbol of abundance and joy for a new year.

Drop, or raise, a ball — or something else

Dropping an illuminated ball at midnight is a standard New Year’s tradition, with one of the best-known examples in New York’s Times Square.

But Pittsburghers do it differently. The Future of Pittsburgh Ball goes up, rather than dropping down.

Around Pennsylvania, communities have found more unusual ways to count down the stroke of midnight. In Pottsville, locals raise a Yuengling bottle to the top of a flagpole. Lebanon drops bologna, and Hershey raises a giant Hershey’s Kiss replica. Meanwhile, in Bethlehem, a 200-pound Peeps chick descends during a fireworks show.

Burn a bayberry candle

According to tradition, lighting a bayberry candle on New Year’s Eve can promise a year of prosperity and good luck.

Light the candle on NYE and let it burn overnight until it burns out on its own — don’t blow it out. If it burns all the way to the bottom, tradition says, everyone in the house will enjoy a yearlong supply of good luck.

Traditions from different cultures

Cultures around the world have their own unique good luck charms for a new year.

In Denmark, it’s good luck to jump into the year — literally. Stand on a chair just before midnight and jump into the new year.

If you’d prefer not to jump, borrow a Costa Rican tradition and run into the new year — with a suitcase. According to tradition, running around the block with your suitcase symbolizes hopes of travel in the new year.

Make a wish in an elaborate style popular in Russian culture. Write down wishes for the new year on a piece of paper. Then light it on fire and sprinkle the ashes into a glass of champagne to drink at midnight.

In Ecuador and other parts of Central and South America, traditions involve burning more than just wishes. Go outside at midnight and burn effigies that symbolize the year. According to tradition, lighting the effigy on fire helps you to let go of the bad of the past year as you move into the next.

Remember the standard superstitions

There’s a lengthy list of superstitions people may consider at the pivotal moment of midnight.

Many say the person you kiss at midnight will be your lifelong love.

And some say it’s important to stock your kitchen cabinets before the clock strikes. It’s bad luck to start the new year with no food in the house.

Fill your wallet, too. If you want prosperity in the new year, keep some cash in your wallet for the start of the year.

New Year’s Day might be a good day to skimp on the chores, superstitions say. Cleaning the house on New Year’s Day could wash away good luck for the year ahead.

But airing out the house is just fine. Opening doors and windows at midnight can let the old year and bad spirits out for a fresh start. Another way to scare away evil spirits is with noise, so stock up on noise makers or prepare to clang on pots and pans.

Start the new year on the right foot

A simple way to start the new year the right way is by literally starting off on the right foot. Per Polish tradition, when you get out of bed on Jan. 1, you should put your right foot on the floor first to ensure you start the new year on the right foot.