In our family, there has been a long-standing tradition that on New Year's Day, you eat pork and sauerkraut. If pig and fermented cabbage don't pass your lips on this day, you are doomed to a year of bad luck!
According to what I've read, a family that owns a fat pig is a family that will be eating well. Additionally, pigs root forward and thus it is a symbol of moving forward into the New Year. The cabbage part of the dish may be a sign of wealth, as the folded green leaves resemble money.
Many sources point to this particular tradition originating from the Pennsylvania Dutch. Given that our family is of mostly Italian and Irish descent, I asked my mother how we ended up with this tradition. It sounds like it may come from two places. My mother's family lived next door to a German woman when they were young and each year, their neighbor made big pots full of pigs' feet and sauerkraut on New Year's Eve. My father's mother, Ruth, was from Pittsburgh and also made the dish every New Years.
Here is the recipe:
Salt and pepper the particular cut of pork you prefer. My mother made a bone-in pork loin roast this year.
- Brown the pork.
- Saute about 1/4 cup of chopped onion in the drippings from the pork, along with some chopped apple
- Put both the pork and the onion/apple mixture in a casserole dish. Pour sauerkraut over pork
- Bake covered at 325 degrees until done.
Epicurious has some great information on New Year's Day traditions from around the world, plus information on what not to eat. Stay away from backward crawling lobsters!
http://www.epicurious.com/articlesguides/holidays/newyearsday/luckyfoods
