15 foods to eat for good luck on New Year's Day

According to Vietnamese tradition, eating the following dishes at the beginning of the year will bring good luck for the whole year .

Lucky foods to eat at the beginning of the new year.

1. 1. Gac sticky rice
2. 2. Bitter gourd soup
3. 3. Boiled chicken
4. 4. Cakes
5. 5. Watermelon
6. 6. Papaya
7. 7. Fruits are round in shape.
8. 8. Fish dishes
9. 9. Long noodles
10. 10. Leafy green vegetables
11. 11. Watermelon seeds
12. 12. Banh chung, Banh tet
13. 13. Braised pork with duck eggs
14. 14. Cashew nuts
15. 15. Spring rolls

1. Gac sticky rice

According to Vietnamese tradition, red symbolizes happiness , and the vibrant color of spring represents good fortune and auspiciousness. Meanwhile, the red color of gac fruit is a natural color of the earth, creating harmony and favorable conditions for the new year. Therefore, gac sticky rice is the first dish to be eaten on New Year's Day after offering it to ancestors, to bring good luck.

The red color of gac fruit is a natural color of the earth, so it will create harmony and good fortune for the new year.

Sticky rice with gac fruit helps improve eyesight and prevent eye diseases such as blurred vision, eye strain, dry eyes, night blindness, and cataracts. It also helps fight aging, beautify the skin, and keep it smooth and youthful.

Furthermore, according to Vietnamese beliefs, red is the color of happiness, the vibrant color of spring, and a symbol of good fortune and auspiciousness. Meanwhile, the red color of gac fruit is the natural color of the earth, thus creating harmony and favorable conditions for the new year.

2. Bitter gourd soup

On the first day of the new year, what kind of soup should you eat to both soothe your stomach and bring good luck? Bitter melon soup is the perfect dish to eat for good fortune on New Year's Day. In Vietnamese wordplay, "bitter melon" symbolizes that all hardships and difficulties will pass, ushering in a happy, peaceful, and smooth new year.

This fruit isn't rare; any housewife can buy and eat it year-round. But when Tet (Vietnamese New Year) comes around, it takes on a different meaning.

The bitter gourd symbolizes that all suffering will pass away, ushering in a new year of happiness and peace.

Despite its slightly bitter taste, bitter melon is very beneficial for health. Bitter melon helps lower cholesterol levels, thereby reducing the risk of heart disease and stroke.

Furthermore, in Vietnamese wordplay, "bitter melon" (khổ qua) signifies that all suffering will pass away, ushering in a new year of happiness and peace.

3. Boiled chicken

A dish of tender, golden-brown boiled chicken symbolizes a prosperous and fortunate beginning.

According to nutritionists, in addition to albumin and fat, chicken meat also contains vitamins A, B1, B2, C, E, acids, calcium, phosphorus, and iron. It is a high-quality food that is easily absorbed and digested by the human body.

According to Traditional Chinese Medicine, chicken meat is warm and sweet in nature, non-toxic, nourishing, and beneficial for the lungs. It is also used to treat postpartum hemorrhage, leucorrhea, dysentery, and boils. It is a food that nourishes the spleen and stomach, replenishes qi, blood, and kidneys.

In addition, it is believed that a golden, tender, boiled chicken symbolizes a prosperous beginning and abundant blessings.

4. Cakes

Desserts bring sweetness to the new year.

Children usually love sweets, but they are often forbidden from eating them because parents believe that eating sweets only causes tooth decay and obesity, and has no other benefits.

This is a somewhat biased and mistaken view; if used correctly, pastries can bring many benefits to you and your family.

Sweets provide a great source of energy, reduce stress, and help lower cardiovascular and blood pressure problems. This delicious snack contributes to the sweetness of the New Year, ensuring a smooth and prosperous year ahead.

5. Watermelon

Watermelon is considered a healthy food because it contains no fat and is very low in calories. One cup of watermelon has only about 46 calories, making it a great food for weight loss.

The round, plump shape and auspicious red color of the watermelon, along with its many seeds, will bring good fortune to the family.

In addition, watermelon is rich in essential nutrients such as vitamins A, B1, B6 & C, pantothenic acid, biotin, potassium and magnesium. Red watermelon contains a powerful antioxidant, lycopene (a plant pigment that gives watermelon, tomatoes, and pink guava their red color).

This powerful antioxidant helps neutralize free radicals that lead to inflammation, general illness, and chronic diseases such as heart attacks, strokes, and cancer.

In addition, along with the red color, the "grains of sand" inside the watermelon, which is a homophone for the word "sand" in Chinese, also symbolizes good fortune at the beginning of the year. The round, perfect shape, the auspicious red color, and the abundance of "grains" will bring much luck to the family.

6. Papaya

Papaya is a tropical fruit with a refreshing, sweet flavor and attractive color. Its benefits have long been proven through a range of health advantages, making it a favorite fruit for many people.

Eating papaya at the beginning of the new year symbolizes the wish for abundance throughout the year.

Papaya is not only delicious, but it's also rich in both vitamin A and vitamin C. Both of these vitamins help boost the body's immunity against illnesses like colds, fevers, and the flu. Besides that, they're excellent for the skin, hair, eyes, and more.

On New Year's Day, papaya is a popular appetizer for many families, symbolizing a wish for a year of abundance and prosperity.

7. Fruits are round in shape.

Eating any round-shaped fruit on New Year's Day is a common custom in many countries.

Everyone knows that oranges, lemons, and other round fruits are delicious and provide a rich source of vitamin C, making them a favorite among housewives. However, oranges are also a wonderful medicinal remedy that you may not know about.

Eating any round fruit on New Year's Day is a common custom in many countries, although the number of fruit segments often varies.

For example, in the Philippines, the number 13 is considered lucky, while in Europe and America, it's 12, representing the 12 months of the year. In both cases, the fruit must resemble a coin in shape and have a sweet taste.

8. Fish dishes

Besides the delicious and refreshing bitter melon soup, fish is also a dish considered auspicious for New Year's Day. In Sino-Vietnamese, the word for fish sounds similar to the word for abundance, meaning plentiful or plentiful. Therefore, eating fish is believed to bring good fortune and prosperity for a year of success. Some even believe that whole fish should be eaten during Tet to ensure a smooth and successful year.

In our country and many countries around the world, fish is an indispensable dish on New Year's Day. Besides being a food believed to bring good luck, no one can deny the nutritional value it provides. Not only is it delicious, but fish also contains plenty of protein and healthy fats that are good for health, and it's also a great ingredient for many delicious dishes on the Tet (Lunar New Year) feast table.

9. Long noodles

Long noodles that don't break or snap during cooking are considered a lucky food to enjoy at the beginning of the year for people in China, Japan, and some other Asian countries.

They often use a frying pan to prepare long noodles, hoping for longevity and good health during the Lunar New Year.

10. Leafy green vegetables

With so many choices on the Tet holiday feast table, people often neglect eating green vegetables. This is a habit that needs to change because green vegetables contain many essential vitamins and fiber. It is believed that eating more of these vegetables will make you richer and, of course, healthier.

In addition, adding leafy green vegetables (including kale, cabbage, and similar types of mustard greens like the ones we have in Lang Son) helps balance the nutrition in meals. There's also a belief that eating these vegetables brings good fortune because their green color and shape resemble banknotes. It's believed that the more of these vegetables you eat, the wealthier and healthier you'll become.

11. Watermelon seeds

Red watermelon seeds are believed to bring good luck and joy to people. Dishes containing red are always favored during the Lunar New Year. Red watermelon seeds are no exception. These seeds are almost always found in trays of candied fruits offered to guests during Tet (Lunar New Year).

Watermelon seeds are not only a delicious snack but also contain many valuable nutrients that help improve memory and support brain and nervous system function. In spring, the red color of watermelon seeds symbolizes wealth and prosperity, reflecting the homeowner's wish for good fortune to come their way.

12. Banh chung, Banh tet

Vietnamese Lunar New Year celebrations are incomplete without banh chung and banh tet. These are beautiful traditional customs of our nation, expressing the respect and gratitude of descendants towards their ancestors. They are the main dishes on the Tet holiday feast table.

The round bánh dày (rice cake) symbolizes the sky, and the square bánh chưng (square rice cake) symbolizes the earth. The green leaves wrapping the outside and the filling inside represent the gratitude for parental love and care. These two cakes, offered to King Hung, pleased Lang Liêu, who inherited the throne. Both bánh chưng and bánh tét symbolize balance in life and convey the belief in good fortune for everyone on New Year's Day. Therefore, these are the foods we should eat to bring good luck for the whole year.

13. Braised pork with duck eggs

Braised pork with duck eggs is a signature dish of the Lunar New Year in Southern Vietnam. The South is blessed with coconut trees that grow everywhere and always bear fruit. Therefore, thanks to the coconut water, this dish has a sweet and appealing flavor.

Each piece of meat is cut into neat squares, alongside a perfectly round boiled egg, as if to convey the idea of ​​harmony and contentment, a life of abundance. To successfully prepare this delicious dish, let's take a look at the instructions below.

14. Cashew nuts

After the long, heavy meals during Tet (Lunar New Year), people turn to nuts like sunflower seeds, pumpkin seeds, and peanuts to restore balance to their digestive systems. Among these nuts, cashews are a delicious treat with a sweet and nutty flavor. Their delicate aroma easily pleases the taste buds of both adults and children. Especially for women, there's no need to worry about weight gain because they only contain unsaturated fats.

As you probably know, cashews are a highly nutritious type of nut containing many beneficial micronutrients. Cashews have many amazing health benefits, such as maintaining cardiovascular and nervous system health, protecting bones and joints, tooth enamel, preventing and treating diabetes and anemia, fighting aging, preventing free radicals, and reducing the risk of cancer.

But did you know that cashews are also considered lucky nuts to eat during Tet (Vietnamese New Year)? As their name suggests, cashews, with their plump, smooth shape, are believed to bring good fortune and smooth sailing throughout the year for everyone in the family. It's believed that eating cashews at the beginning of the new year will bring good luck and fulfillment in the future.

15. Spring rolls

Spring rolls (Nem) are an important part of traditional Vietnamese cuisine during the Lunar New Year. Eating them symbolizes welcoming spring. The shape of the rolls resembles gold bars, thus symbolizing wealth and prosperity. It's an extremely popular dish in Vietnamese families during Tet (Lunar New Year).

Spring rolls are an appetizer consisting of cylindrical rolls with a thin white wrapper made from dough that is deep-fried until crispy and golden brown. Spring rolls typically have fillings such as vegetables and meat, or a sweet version with mung bean or taro filling.

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