Popular New Year food traditions from around the world

The year end is just round the corner and it is finally time to bid adieu to 2020 and welcome 2021 in a grand way. From partying with friends to spending time with family, people celebrate the last day of the year in a variety of ways. Food occupies an intrinsic part of every celebration. People from different parts of the world have different food traditions, especially reserved for New Year. Here are some interesting New Year food traditions from across the globe.

Spain has the most interesting tradition of all, where people welcome the new year by eating 12 grapes. The people of Spain watch the Times Square New Year broadcast from Puerta del Sol in Madrid, where a large crowd gathers in front of the square's clocktower to ring in the New Year. At the stroke of midnight, they eat one grape for every toll of the clock bell. Since the clock strikes 12 times, thus the tradition of eating 12 grapes got famous.

This delicious food item served after wrapping in a banana leaf is a special food tradition of Mexico. Tamales are basically corn dough stuffed with meat, cheese and some other delicious food items. It is then wrapped in a banana leaf and steamed to give that special flavour. On New Year's, it's often served with menudo, which is a type of soup that is said to be good for hangovers.

Made with egg and fresh herbs, this flavourful dish is served after garnishing with walnuts. In Persian culture, the New Year is referred to as Nowruz or Navroz and the highlight of the celebration is this special dish. Kuku Sabzi is a kind of frittata which is said to signify abundance and fertility for the year ahead.

Germany has the cutest traditional of all times, where these cute little sugar pigs are eaten on New Year. Called ‘glücksschwein’, these tiny little pigs are made from sugary almond paste and are loved by kids and elders alike. Germans welcome the New Year by eating Sugar Pigs as sweets and hope the coming year to be full of good luck and prosperity.

In the Southern Us, a special dish is made for New Year which includes black-eyed peas, cooked greens, pork and cornbread. Each ingredient signifies a particular thing which is said to be auspicious on New Year. Black-eyed peas represent pennies, cooked greens represent folded money and pork represents general prosperity as pigs root forward when searching for food through the earth. The dish is savoured with cornbread on the side which represents wealth due to its golden colour.

Toast the New Year in the Scottish way by sipping on some whisky. The New Year special whisky is often savoured along with a big slice of fruitcake. In the Scottish tradition, it is also said that the first person to cross the threshold of the house is supposed to bring gifts symbolising good luck for the coming year.

Soba Noodles, also known as ‘year-end noodles’ are popular in Japanese tradition. The noodles are made from buckwheat and include some other delicious veggies as well. The buckwheat long noodles are said to symbolize longevity and prosperity. It is also said that the tradition dates back to 17th century Japan.

Pickled Herring is a special Polish New Year's Eve dish, also called Sledzie Marynowane. It is traditionally prepared by soaking whole salt herrings in water for 24 hours and then layering them in a jar with onions, allspice, sugar and white vinegar. Most of the people eat Pickled Herring at the stroke of the midnight hour with cream sauce and onion rings.