20 Best New Year's Day Lunch Ideas for Good Luck in 2026
Try traditional dishes for a prosperous start.
You've stayed up until midnight, watched the ball drop on TV, and maybe even slept late for once. But now that it's 2026 and lunchtime is approaching, you might be wondering what you should eat. Enter: New Year's Day lunch! Sitting down to a tasty mid-day meal is a New Year's tradition that many people take part in. For starters, there are so many different good luck foods that symbolize health, happiness, and prosperity. And second, you're likely pretty hungry after a night of revelry and parties.
Luckily, you'll find some of the best New Year's Day lunch ideas to start the year off right here. Many of these traditional New Year's Day lunch foods have a special place in different cultures around the world, like grapes which represent good fortune in Mexico and Spain or noodles which are often eaten during the Lunar New Year to symbolize longevity. Other New Year's Day meals include Hoppin' John with black-eyed peas, cornbread, and collard greens, or pork recipes that are thought to represent progress in the new year.
Browse some of these New Year's Day lunch recipes and don't forget to serve them up with a few New Year's desserts and some champagne. There's a few of those on this list, too, like doughnut recipes and cakes. It's a celebration, after all! It'll help you kick off a happier year ahead when you're full of good food.
Hoppin' John
Since black-eyed peas, pork, and rice are considered good luck, it's easy to see why this traditional dish is so popular in certain areas in the country! Plus, it's so comforting on a cold day.
Get Ree's Hoppin' John recipe.
Southern Collard Greens
These Southern-style collard greens are braised until tender and loaded with shredded, smoked turkey. But the best part? They represent wealth in the new year ahead!
Get the Southern Collard Greens recipe.
Skillet Cornbread
Everyone has their own way of making cornbread, but no matter which way you make yours, it’s a great dish to serve for a New Year's Day meal. Cornbread has a tie to the holiday because it’s believed that its color, a vibrant gold, is a symbol of wealth and money, similar to collard greens.
Get Ree's Skillet Cornbread recipe.
Pork and Sauerkraut
Pork is thought to represent progress in the new year and is also symbolic of both prosperity and riches. Sauerkraut also happens to be a symbol of good luck in Germany, so you can get double the flavor and double the luck eating both together!
Get the Pork and Sauerkraut recipe.
Lentil Soup
In Italy, lentils are a common ingredient served to celebrate the start of the new year, as they’re thought to bring good luck. In ancient Rome, it is believed that people gave lentils as a gift to wish someone good fortune. And thankfully, they also make a tasty and nutritious soup!
Get Ree's Lentil Soup recipe.
Jelly Doughnuts
Eating round sweets is popular all around the world as a symbol of good luck, particularly doughnuts. For example, small fried-dough fritters called oliebollen are traditional New Year's food in the Netherlands. And lucky you, here's a doughnut recipe of your own to try!
Get the Jelly Doughnuts recipe.
Air Fryer Onion Rings
There's a Greek tradition of hanging a bag on onions on your door to symbolize growth and rebirth. Why not put those onions to good use and eat 'em instead? Making them in the air fryer helps keep them a bit healthier for the start of the year, too.
Get Ree's Air Fryer Onion Rings recipe.
Black-Eyed Pea Dip
Black-eyed peas are a staple of both Southern food and traditional soul food, and they're thought to symbolize prosperity in the new year. This dip is the perfect appetizer to get the good luck started!
Get Ree's Black-Eyed Pea Dip recipe.
Cranberry Mulled Wine
Another tradition in Germany is feuerzangenbowle, a warm mulled wine with cinnamon, cloves and orange peel. Making your own at home is easy as can be and adding cranberries makes it extra seasonal.
Get Ree's Cranberry Mulled Wine recipe.
King Cake
While you might thing about Mardi Gras when you see a king cake, in many other countries, it's eaten much earlier. The French, for instance, eat it during the 12 days of Christmas which includes New Year's Day!
Get the King Cake recipe.
No-Knead Bread
Through the 19th century in Ireland, New Year's Day was known as the "Day of the Buttered Bread" for various traditions that included bashing a loaf on a front door. We prefer to make and eat it personally, and this only takes ten minutes of prep.
Get the No-Knead Bread recipe.
Millionaire's Shortbread
If you visit a home in Scotland on New Year's Day, you might be treated to some of this decadent little dessert. Why not make it as part of your menu? No travel abroad required.
Get the Millionaire's Shortbread recipe.
Tamale Pie
Tamales are a traditional Mexican dish often made on special occasions, like New Year's Day. This twist on the classic is made with corn muffin mix so it's even easier to make.
Get the Tamale Pie recipe.
Cranberry Mimosa
It should be no surprise that champagne is considered lucky for the new year. For midday, try going with a signature brunch cocktail like this very festive mimosa. Plus, you can use all the leftovers from the night before.
Get the Cranberry Mimosa recipe.
Soft Pretzels
In Germany, soft pretzels are commonly eaten on New Year's to symbolize luck, health, and prosperity. The tradition usually involves a sweet pretzel but salty varieties can work, too.
Get the Soft Pretzel recipe.
Cabbage and Sausage
Similar to collard greens, cabbage is thought to bring good luck in the new year and that, given its appearance, is symbolic of money, wealth and prosperity. Cabbage is a super versatile ingredient and delicious when paired with smoked sausage.
Get the Cabbage and Sausage recipe.
Red and Green Fruit Salad with Grapes
Grapes are a very traditional food for a New Year's Day celebration in Spain and other Spanish-speaking countries like Mexico and Cuba. Once the clock strikes midnight, it is common to eat 12 grapes, representing good fortune for each month of the new year.
Get Ree's Red and Green Fruit Salad recipe.
Sesame Pork Noodle Salad
Long noodles are a very common New Year's Day ingredient, as they're believed to represent longevity in the coming year. They should also stay in-tact and never be cut or broken. It's encouraged for long noodles to be slurped rather than chewed, as this welcomes more luck.
Get Ree's Sesame Pork Noodle Salad recipe.
Pomegranate Sparklers
Eating pomegranates, specifically the vibrant arils found inside them, is thought to bring good luck in the new year in Greek culture. Additionally, pomegranate is believed to represent prosperity and is commonly given as a gift to wish good fortune to someone else. Snack on some pomegranate this new year and serve these festive pomegranate sparklers.
Get Ree's Pomegranate Sparklers recipe.
Lemon-Lime Pound Cake
Preparing ing-shaped baked goods is a special custom for many New Year’s Day gatherings. The round shape is believed to help bring good luck in the new year and represent good fortune coming "full circle" throughout the coming months. This lemony pound cake is a favorite and a great dish to make to honor this tradition.
Get Ree's Lemon-Lime Pound Cake recipe.
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