As I’ve been preparing a collection of favorite New Year’s Day recipes, I’ve learned a bit about the traditions behind various New Year’s Day foods. Traditional foods on New Year’s Day (whether it’s celebrated on January 1 according to the Gregorian calendar, in the fall as for Rosh Hashanah or in mid-winter as in parts of Asia, traditional foods are eaten in the hope that they will bring good luck for the coming year.
It seems that, for many cultures around the world, pork is favored on New Year’s Day. I’ve grown up eating ham, pulled pork, pork roast and other forms of pork on New Year’s Day. In the South, the pork is often paired with greens. In the North and Midwest, it is typically paired with sauerkraut. I never knew that pork had long-standing symbolism of good fortune.
Why the pig? My research indicates that, because a pig roots and forages by pushing its snout forward, it symbolizes progress and achievement. On the other hand, fowl is considered bad luck because chickens and their brethren scratch backward for their sustenance.
So, on New Year’s Day, unless pork is not on your diet for religious or medical reasons, perhaps you should enjoy some lucky pig. I’ll be sharing some pork recipes on New Year’s Eve for you to consider. Whether or not the pig is lucky to be eaten on New Year’s Day depends on your point-of-view…if you’re the pig, this may not seem like such a lucky tradition!
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