For Good Luck, Celebrate the New Year With...

... grapes? If you're Spanish, yes! Here are some other food traditions to get the new year off to a good start.

For Long Life:

• Shrimp because the curved back resembles the stature of an elderly person - Japan

To Bring Money:

• Black-eyed peas (resembling coins) and collard greens (cash) - American South
• Lentils (coins) - Italy
• Steamed dumplings (resemble gold nuggets) - Northern Chinese
• Pork (for prosperity) - France

For Good Luck:

• Eat one grate at each stroke of midnight for every month of the new year - Spain
• Figs, dates, and honey - ancient Romans
• Lasagne - Sicilians
• Vasilopita (a cake with lots of nuts and a coin baked inside) - Greece

To Fulfill Wishes:

• Herring (make a wish as you swallow) - Denmark (boiled), Poland (pickled), Japanese (roe)

For Good Health:

• Pancakes - France

For Love:

• An orange - Italy

Source: Chow magazine

What will we do? We'll stick with that old favorite, champagne, on New Year's Eve and a family chosen favorite for New Year's Day. We're sadly untraditional that way.