Welcoming the New Year is a time both reflective and celebratory for cultures around the world. We look back on the year behind us, considering the ways in which we’ve grown, and prepare for the year ahead, anticipating the many exciting possibilities to come. Every culture celebrates the New Year in a unique way – each as charming as the next! As one of our fun New Year’s Eve activities for families, take a trip around the world with your family (don’t worry… we’re not talking about transatlantic flights) by cooking up traditional New Year’s foods from different cultures!
Exploring different cultures through food is a great way to engage the little ones and to introduce them to flavors not usually found on the dinner table. Flip through Atlas of Adventures for ideas of where you’d like to “travel” on your New Year’s culture trip, or try out some of these delicious ideas and recipes we’ve gathered for you!
In Spain, it’s a tradition to eat twelve grapes before the New Year begins – one grape at every stroke of the clock. Eating a grape for every month supposedly leads to a year of posterity!
Noodles are a staple all year long in Thailand, but they’re especially in demand during the New Year celebrations because long noodles are thought to represent a long life. We also like long noodles because they’re better for slurping purposes. Try out this recipe for Kuay Tiaw Mu Tun, or Thai pork rib noodle soup (full recipe in our previous post). You get two for the price of one with this soup because pork is also thought to be a lucky food. Italians believe that eating pork on New Year’s will bring a year rich with happiness.
In the American South, people eat black-eyed peas on New Year’s because the pea’s coin-like shape promises prosperity and wealth in the coming year. Lentils and other small beans are also thought to symbolize humility and good fortune. Cook up a batch of these golden chickpea poppers this holiday for an extra fortunate year – get the full recipe in our previous post!
The French traditionally eat a Galette des Rois, or King Cake, on January 6th to celebrate the Epiphany, but the cake has grown to be a general New Year’s tradition. There is a small “prize” hidden inside of every cake, such as a whole almond, a dry bean, or a plastic figurine, and whoever eats the slice with the hidden trinket is named king for the day! Alternatively, people believe that whoever gets the slice with the prize will have good luck in the coming year. Slip your chosen prize into the batter once it’s in the pan, and see who turns up lucky! Although with this delicious marble pound cake recipe from Sally’s Baking Addiction, everyone’s a winner. Find the full recipe in our previous post!
Here’s to a happy, prosperous, and wonderful New Year!
Atlas of Adventures
Author: Rachel Williams
Illustrator: Lucy Letherland
Format: Hardcover, 96 Pages
ISBN: 9781847806956
Publisher: Wide-Eyed Editions
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The World’s Best Asian Noodle Recipes
Recipe Selection: Kirsten Hall
Foreword by: Ian Kittichai
Format: Hardcover, 288 Pages
ISBN: 9781937994204
Publisher: Race Point Publishing
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Real Fit Kitchen
Publisher: Fair Winds Press
Author: Tara Mardigan, R.D.
Author: Kate Weiler, C.H.C.
Format: Paperback, 176 Pages
ISBN: 9781592336906
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Sally’s Baking Addiction
Author: Sally McKenney
Format: Hardcover, 176 Pages
ISBN: 9781937994341
Publisher: Race Point Publishing
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