Foods you should & shouldn’t eat on New Year’s Day to bring good luck

WILMINGTON, NC (WWAY) — With 2020 finally behind us, everyone wants to start 2021 on a positive note.

One of the ways many people kick off each new year is by eating certain foods they hope will bring good luck over the coming months.

Black-eyed peas are the most common New Year’s Day food thought to bring good luck. But green beans and collards are also commonly consumed, meant to symbolize money given their color.

Although many people eat certain food on New Year’s with the hope of it leading to a positive year, others simply have annual traditions they’re continuing.

“I generally eat black-eyed peas every year,” holiday diner Vellomy Shaad said. “I mean, I’m a southerner. That’s how I was raised in my family, someone always cooked beans and greens. I’m not really superstitious. I don’t believe in the luck part. But I believe in prosperity. So if it brings prosperity, I’m all for it.”

Although there are many foods that are supposed to promote good luck, eating chicken on New Year’s is thought to be bad luck. Many believe eating chicken could cause your luck to ‘fly away’.