Lucky Foods for the New Year

In the past years I've always had a more Southern United States diet for New Year's Eve and day.  The menu has always been black-eyed peas, pork, cornbread and some collard greens.   It's interesting to see the different foods used in the celebrations around the world and would be interesting to incorporate some of them into our traditions.
In many different cultures around the world there are different foods that are eaten around the New Year to bring luck, prosperity and wealth into the next year here are a few.

Lucky Foods around the World for the New Year

• In Spain revelers eat 12 grapes at midnight.  The grapes are said to predict the coming year.  Each grape symbolizes a different month of the year.  Sweet grapes represent a good month, but a sour grape is a less than lucky month.  Your 5th grape turned out sour?  May will be a unlucky month for you.
• In the Southern United States black eyed peas are eaten to show your humility which is said to bring good fortune in the new year.  Greens are also eaten because they look like paper currency themselves. They represent prosperity into the year.  It is believed that the more greens one eats the larger your fortune will be.  Greens are not just served on New Years in the South, but different types are part of the New Year's cuisine around the world.  In the South collard greens are usually served, in Germany they consume sauerkraut (cabbage), and the Danish eat stewed Kale sprinkled with cinnamon and sugar.
• In Italy they serve lentils, the abundance of these tiny legumes are said to symbolize bringing in wealth in the following year.  It is because the lentil represents coins
• All over the world foods that are in a circular shape are served in abundance.  It not only represents coins to bring prosperity to those who eat the circular foods but also the meaning of everything coming full circle.  With one year ending and another beginning the cycle of the seasons starts again.  
• The Greek bake silver coin into a round loaf of bread called a vasilopita. At midnight you cut the brad into enough slices for every member of the household, including a slice for the house itself.  Whoever is to find the coin will receive extra good luck for the next year.
• In Japan they eat Soba (buckwheat noodles) at the chime of midnight.  The noodles are then called toshi-koshi (meaning "from one year to another") Soba In the Far East noodles symbolize longevity, so the longer the noodle the better the omen.
• Pork is served in many dishes on New Year's eve, because the fatty meat is said to bring a year rich with wealth and prosperity.  The pig is also said to represent progress. A side of cornbread is said to represent the gold you wish to gain in the new year.
• In Japan herring roe is consumed for fertility, dried sardines for a good harvest and shrimp for a long life.

What not to eat for the New Year

Lobster should be avoid since they walk backwards and may signify a setback.  Chicken should be avoided as well because they scratch the ground backwards.  They are believed to cause regrets and dwelling on the past.  Another belief is to avoid any wings fowl completely because good fortune could fly away.  In the Philippines and Germany it is important to have food on the table at midnight. Which is said to guarantee a full pantry in the new year.