By: Mark Marek, Coal Region Connections
We can thank the Pa. Dutch for the pork & sauerkraut tradition. Because pigs forage forward for food & don't look back, pork is 1 of the luckiest foods to eat. Eating cabbage & other legumes (peas, beans, & lentils) is symbolic of money & another excellent food choice for New Years.
Fish is a lucky food too because fish swim in schools & that signifies abundance. Many will bake round cakes with silver or gold coins inside. If you get a slice with a coin, you will have good luck in the new year. Eating round or ring-shaped objects (black-eyed peas is a good example) is good luck--it signifies the completion of a year.
At the stroke of midnight New Years Eve many will eat 12 grapes (1 grape for each clock chime) to bring good luck in the following 12 months. It's very good luck if you finished the grapes before the last sound of the chime. And when hitting the sack on New Years Eve, sleep with a horseshoe under your pillow for luck.
There are also "BAD LUCK" practices to steer clear from on New Years. DON'T eat chicken, turkey, or goose. Fowls scratch backwards for food & you certainly don't want to "scratch for a living" in 2015. DON'T eat lobster or lobster tail. Lobsters move backward & that's bad luck.
On New Year's Day, DON'T clean the house--you'll sweep away your good fortune for 2015. DON'T do laundry--you might "wash away" a person you love. DON'T cry on New Year's Day. It will bring unhappiness all year long--so be happy that 1st day of the year (even if your favorite football team loses). Finally, DON'T lend money (especially to family members) on New Year's Day. Wait til January 2nd.
Yes, we are a superstition-prone lot here in the coal region. Anything else you do to bring good luck & ward off bad luck on New Years Eve & New Year's Day? Tell us below. From Coal Region Connections to you & your family--a happy, healthy, & prosperous 2015.
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