Whether or not you’re into superstition, we think New Year’s is a great time to have some fun with centuries-old traditions purported to bring luck, wealth, and prosperity into your life. Though ushering in good luck is important, we think it’s equally enjoyable to know what things we should be avoiding lest we bring in bad luck too. And don’t worry, it’s not all doom and gloom—we bet you’re going to enjoy some of these just as much as, say, eating black-eyed peas and cornbread for good fortune (spoiler: you can skip the dishes!). Are they a little silly? Maybe! Will we be doing some of them anyway? You bet.
We’re never big fans of completely outlawing certain foods, so while there are ones to avoid on this list, we’re also offering up lots of alternatives. It’s said that you shouldn’t eat winged fowl (read: birds like turkey or chicken), bottom feeders (like shrimp or catfish), or any seafood that swims backward or side to side (like lobster or crab). It’s all about trying to steer clear of any of those behaviors in your own life in the new year (we support it—we also don’t want to be pecking for scraps or experiencing setbacks next year). Instead, go “ham” on pork, as it’s supposed to bring prosperity and progress; get a jump start on Veganuary with veggie alternatives; or go for other safe seafood options (like a whole salmon for good fortune).
Other superstitions on this list are more… food-adjacent than being about what you should and shouldn’t eat, and instead are about behaviors you’ll want to follow or avoid in your kitchen in the new year. Per tradition, it’s said you shouldn’t clean your house (yep, including doing the dishes!) lest you accidentally sweep good luck away. You also shouldn’t start the year off with an empty fridge or pantry. One way to combat that? Save some leftovers to guarantee next year will be bountiful. You also shouldn’t directly hand anyone a kitchen knife on New Year’s, as that can imply your desire to cut them out of your life. It’s also just bad kitchen etiquette, so it’s one we’ll definitely be avoiding next year, and beyond.
Avoid Winged Fowl
If you don't want your luck to fly away in the new year, it's best to avoid any animal that has wings and scratches in the dirt, like turkey or chicken. These birds scratch backward, which can imply dwelling in the past or—even worse—the need to scrape by for your living.
If you're really craving wings, try our Buffalo tempeh "wings" or our Buffalo cauliflower instead. (Bonus: They can help you kick off Veganuary too!) More of a meat eater? Pork is considered lucky (because pigs root forward), so go "ham" with it!
Avoid Lobster, Crab & Other Crustaceans
If you don't want to experience major setbacks next year, you're going to want to avoid eating crab, lobster, and other crustaceans this New Year's. That's because these creatures move backward or side to side instead of forward.
Don't worry, though, you can still get your seafood fix—just swap in for any fish that swims forward, like salmon or tuna.
Watch Out For Hollow Bread
Though it's nearly impossible to avoid, slicing into bread and finding a massive air pocket is said to be an omen for death, particularly on New Year's. The one exception is if the bread is round (signifying a circle of good luck), but we're not going to chance it.
We can't think of a better sign to resolve to go low-carb in the New Year, can you?
Don't Eat Bottom Feeders
Seafood like shrimp, cod, scallops, halibut, and bass are what are considered bottom-feeders, because they scavenge for food along the bottom of the ocean. If you don't want to be living off scraps in any part of your life in the upcoming year, you should avoid them.
Don't worry though, if you've got a hankering for seafood, you've got a couple options. You could replace it with mushrooms, like in our vegan "scallops" with succotash or our mushroom "calamari", or just go for an alternative, forward-swimming fish like salmon.
Don't Pass A Knife
Passing a knife to someone on New Year's is as good as saying that you want to cut ties with them going forward. It's also bad kitchen etiquette, so do like chefs do and put that knife down if you need to hand it off to someone. Then they can pick it up on their own without any danger, either of injuring themselves or losing you as a friend.
Avoid Empty Kitchen Cabinets
Some believe that starting the New Year off with your refrigerator and kitchen cabinets empty is bad luck and will bring scarcity into your life. Avoid this by stocking up with all your favorites. Bonus: All the Christmas treats will be on sale!
Check out our list of stores that are open on New Year's if you need to do a last-minute run too.
Don't Do Those Dishes
Or take out the trash, or wash your clothes, or sweep your house... as the superstition goes, if you do, you might accidentally wash good luck and loved ones out of your life. Other beliefs state that whatever you do on New Year's is what you'll be doing the rest of the year.
We don't know about you, but we'll take any excuse to not to the dishes, and we're definitely not trying to bring more hard work in for next year either. Save the cleaning for later and relax this New Year's instead.
White Foods
In Chinese tradition, white is an unlucky color because it symbolizes death, so all white foods are out for the celebration. Tofu, eggs, rice, cauliflower, white cheeses—say goodbye to them for the night. Instead, fill your New Year's table with other colorful foods. Greens of all kinds are said to bring wealth into your life, while anything yellow (think cornbread) is supposed to foretell prosperity and happiness. Oranges are supposed to bring good luck and fortune as well, so load up on citrus too.
Whatever You Eat, Don't Eat It All
They say if you leave some food on your plate at the end of the night, the coming year will be one of plenty. So skip the clean plate club and do future you a favor in more ways than one by packing away some leftovers at the end of the meal.
Not having a big New Year's Eve dinner? No worries, we think saving some Champagne for the next day counts too—turning it into mimosas or Champagne cupcakes will be just as lucky.
Don't Give Parsley as a Gift
We don't know why you would, but if you're ever tempted to gift someone fresh herbs, leave the parsley at home. Bring it to a party, and not only will you get weird looks, bad luck will follow.
Want to bring something else to a NYE party? Try one of our edible food bouquets or one of our ultimate gifts for hosts/hostesses instead.
Don't Let Your Chopsticks Slouch Or Your Noodles Break
Thank your lucky stars if your chopsticks fall to the side when you're eating, say, ramen or sushi this New Year's; setting chopsticks upright in your dish mimics the incense used to honor the dead in China and Japan and is, understandably, bad luck.
In addition, long noodles signify long life, so be mindful when you're slurping. If you're worried about it, may we recommend penne or macaroni instead?
Bananas
As it turns out, bananas are just riddled with bad luck. Not only does cutting them bring bad luck, bringing them on board a boat can mean a poor fishing haul or even getting lost at sea for the crew.
Sorry banana pudding and banana bread, we'll see you next year.
Camille Lowder is the digital food producer at Delish, otherwise known as our resident queen of recipe galleries. Previously, she attended the Natural Gourmet Institute for culinary school and worked at/managed a number of New York restaurants. She loves anything vegan, foods masquerading as other foods (hello, cauliflower), and a well-used Oxford comma.
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