Traditional New Years Day Dinner

OK, so my new best friend, Jen, came over on New Years Day. Can you see why we are new best friends? We have so much in common! Unbeknownst to each other, we dressed alike for the day. At 2:00, she showed up on my doorstep with a box of food. Traditional Southern New Years Day food designed to bring me luck for the entire year in each little bite.

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Jen knew that my Yankee self had no clue what foods to make for luck and would probably just heat up a pizza, which, honestly, has worked for the past 23 years in that I've had pretty good luck.

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In her southernly charming way, she butted in and blessed my heart with this good luck dinner of foods that would make my yankee grandmother Maslar roll over in her grave.

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Here's my plate.
The hog is considered lucky because it symbolizes prosperity. (for me, not for the hog) So I had a teeny bite for prosperity. I had a healthy portion of black eyed peas because they bring overall good luck & who don't need that?
I threw on a scoop of collard greens because they are supposed to bring me money. Lots n lots of money. Money, money, money, Muh-ney. Truthfully, I couldn't finish the greens, I just couldn't. & with the bad economy, I know it was like shooting myself in the foot. I've been regretting it all day.

Those yellow triangle things? Let me just say : Yum. They aren't pineapple, which brings good weather, (Jen, where was my pineapple??) but they are similar to potatoes. I gobbled them down and am now anxious to see what they bring me.

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I also consumed the potato salad which is for endurance and good health. I'm a tough woman made of sturdy German stock, so prolly didn't need those taters.

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Some people, I'm not naming names, but some people believe that anything in the shape of a ring is good luck, because it symbolizes "coming full circle," completing a year's cycle. Therefore, the Dutch eat donuts on New Year's Day to bring them good fortune. Why couldn't Jen be Dutch? Donuts would be good. I could eat me some donuts.
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Our traditional New Years Good Luck dinner hasn't brought us good luck yet, but did bring on extreme sluggishness. That's so unlike us. It wiped us out.
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Now why couldn't Jen be Greek? The Greek celebrate St. Basil's Day on New Years Day.

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This involves a healthy dose of St. Basil's cake.

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St. Basil's Cake is cooked with a coin in it. The person (or pet in many cases) who gets the coin gets a year of good luck.

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By the way, girls in Greece would eat something salty right before bed on New Years Eve. They believed this made them dream about the future man they would marry. Hmmmm.... Patti & Eva woke around 4 in the morning and had trouble getting back to sleep..... wonder what they were dreaming 'bout?

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What are your New Years Traditions?