New Year's Eve food: what is eaten and why

What is eaten for New Year's Eve

The last night of the year is full of food eaten for luck. Spaniards eat twelve grapes, one on each stroke of midnight. Italians eat lentils with cotechino sausage just after midnight, because lentils look like coins. In Japan a bowl of soba is eaten before the temple bells: the long noodles are a wish for long life, and they break easily, to cut off the troubles of the old year. The Dutch fry oliebollen, Danes cut an almond ring cake, and Russians fill the table with salads and sparkling wine.

The dishes

Twelve GrapesOne grape on each stroke of midnight in Spain.

SobaYear-crossing noodles eaten in Japan before midnight.

OliebolDutch fried dough balls, sold from street stalls.

KransekakeDanish tower of almond rings.

Olivier saladThe salad of the Russian New Year table.

ChampagneFor the toast at midnight.

Also part of it, and being written: Cotechino (Sausage served with lentils in Italy after midnight.).

More dishes made for New Year's Eve

Punchपंच 🇮🇳 India and 5 moreA party drink of fruit juice, sweetener, and sometimes alcohol, served in a large bowl Drink, Snacks

Cabbage roll 🇺🇦 Ukraine and 5 moreCooked cabbage leaves wrapped around seasoned fillings, simmered or baked Main dish, Lunch, Dinner

BerlinerVegetarian 🇩🇪 Germany and 5 moreJam-filled German doughnut without a central hole, dusted with sugar or glazed Sweet or dessert, Snacks, Tea time

PastirmaMeat 🇹🇷 Turkey and 5 moreAir-dried cured meat coated in a spiced fenugreek paste Sausage or cured food, Breakfast, Lunch

KutiaVegetarian 🇧🇾 Belarus and 5 moreSweet grain porridge with honey, poppy seeds and nuts for winter feasts Sweet or dessert, Dinner

BanitsaVegetarianбаница 🇧🇬 Bulgaria and 2 moreBulgarian pastry with layers of filo, eggs, yogurt, and white cheese Pie or savoury pastry, Breakfast, Snacks

Pozole 🇲🇽 Mexico and 1 moreMexican hominy soup with meat and a range of fresh toppings Soup, Lunch, Dinner

Pickled herringFish or seafood 🇳🇱 Netherlands and 5 moreHerring preserved in salt and vinegar, eaten across Northern and Eastern Europe Sausage or cured food, Snacks, Lunch

BarmbrackVegetarianbairín breac 🇮🇪 IrelandIrish yeast bread with sultanas and raisins, often linked to Halloween fortune-telling Bread, Tea time, Snacks

TourtièreMeat 🇨🇦 Canada and 1 moreFrench Canadian meat pie with spiced filling, often served at Christmas and New Year Main dish, Dinner

About this page

Written by the Thali desk with AI assistance. Background: "New Year's Eve" on Wikipedia. Customs differ from family to family and place to place. If this is your tradition and we have it wrong, tell us.

Photo credits on this page

The small pictures above come from Wikimedia Commons under free licences. Some are cropped to fit.

Berliner: Lear 21, CC BY-SA 4.0, source

Pozole: Meutia Chaerani / Indradi Soemardjan http://www.indrani.net, CC BY 2.5, source

Olivier salad: Jacek Halicki, CC BY-SA 4.0, source

Tourtière: Dominic Genest, Public domain, source

Kutia: Віщун, CC BY-SA 4.0, source

Punch: Shawn Lea, CC BY 2.0, source

Soba: FotoosVanRobin, CC BY-SA 2.0, source

Champagne: Taken on September 22, 2005, CC BY 2.0, source

Pastirma: E4024, CC BY-SA 4.0, source

Banitsa: Sheku80, CC BY-SA 3.0, source

Cabbage roll: Burkhard Mücke, CC BY-SA 4.0, source

Twelve Grapes: Ralf Roletschek, GFDL 1.2, source

Barmbrack: Solo Beckett, CC BY-SA 4.0, source

Oliebol: El Conejo Blanco, CC BY-SA 4.0, source

Pickled herring: MOs810, CC BY-SA 4.0, source

Kransekake: Kjetil Ree, CC BY-SA 3.0, source