The New Year:  Celebrate Good Fortune & Good Food

Celebration of the New Year has been tied to food and the harvest for more than 4,000 years.  Originally, the New Year was observed when the fields were planted in the spring.  The Romans later established January 1 as the beginning of the New Year, but the date was not widely accepted until the Roman Emperor Julius Caesar instituted the Julian calendar in 46 B.C.

New Year’s celebrations have evolved into social occasions when wishes for good fortune and prosperity are exchanged, often in the form of food.  In the U.S., how you celebrate is often a function of your own cultural heritage:  Southerners swear by black-eyed peas for good luck during the year, and German-Americans wouldn’t dream of starting the New Year without pork and sauerkraut.

You can keep your favorite traditions and streamline your cooking, allowing you to enjoy the holiday.  Canned food – like black-eyed peas or sauerkraut – is the ingredient of choice.  And if one of your resolutions is to eat more sensibly, remember canned fruits and vegetables are often fat-free and high in fiber. 

Check out the following three quick and easy New Year’s recipes:
Hoppin’ John Salad
Lentils with Sausage
Torciglone

Many people start the New Year with a resolution to eat healthier and shed a few pounds.  But as holiday decorations come down and the spirit of the season fades, it is often easy to let out New Year’s resolutions fade as well.  Follow these Simple Tips for Making Healthy Resolutions that not only last throughout the year, but throughout your lifetime.

New Year's Traditions Throughout the World can be very different.  Read up on how other cultures celebrate the holiday.  

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