Pork

The custom of eating pork on New Year's is based on the idea that pigs symbolize progress.Roast suckling pig is served for New Year's in Cuba, Spain, Portugal, Hungary, and Austria—Austrians are also known to decorate the table with miniature pigs made of marzipan. Different pork dishes such as pig's feet are enjoyed in Sweden while Germans feast on roast pork and sausages. Pork is also consumed in Italy and the United States, where thanks to its rich fat content, it signifies wealth and prosperity.

新年吃猪的传统是基于人们认为这种动物象征着进步。烤乳猪是古巴、西班牙、葡萄牙、匈牙利和奥地利的传统新年食品。奥地利人还会把杏仁甜饼做成小猪的样子来装饰餐桌。其他的猪肉大餐也在全球各地流行，比如瑞典人吃猪脚；德国人吃猪脚和香肠。在意大利和美国，得益于猪肉丰富的脂肪，人们也把它作为财富的象征。

 

Fish

Fish is a very logical choice for the New Year's table. According to Mark Kurlansky, author of Cod: A Biography of the Fish that Changed the World, cod has been a popular feast food since the Middle Ages. He compares it to turkey on Thanksgiving. The reason? Long before refrigeration and modern transportation, cod could be preserved and transported allowing it to reach the Mediterranean and even as far as North Africa and the Caribbean. Kurlansky also believes the Catholic Church's policy against red meat consumption on religious holidays helped make cod, as well as other fish, commonplace at feasts. The Danish eat boiled cod, while in Italy, baccalà, or dried salt cod, is enjoyed from Christmas through New Year's. Herring, another frequently preserved fish, is consumed at midnight in Poland and Germany—Germans also enjoy carp and have been known to place a few fish scales in their wallets for good luck.

鱼，是新年餐桌上理性选择。根据《鳕鱼：一种改变世界的鱼的自传》作者马克·克兰斯基的说法，鳕鱼自中世纪起就是一种广受欢迎的节日食品。他认为鳕鱼相当于感恩节吃的火鸡。什么原因呢？在现代制冷技术和运输手段发明以前，鳕鱼能够长时间不坏，并运送到地中海、甚至是南非、加勒比地区。克兰斯基同时还相信天主教堂反对在宗教节日期间吃红肉的条例帮助了鳕鱼和其他鱼类在节庆中的发展。丹麦人吃煮的鳕鱼；在意大利，人们在圣诞节和新年吃盐渍的干鳕鱼；波兰人和德国人在新年晚上吃另一种常见的鱼类，鲱鱼；德国人同时还喜欢螃蟹，并且相信在口袋里装一些鱼鳞会带来好运。

Cakes, Etc.

Cakes and other baked goods are commonly served from Christmas to New Year's around the world, with a special emphasis placed on round or ring-shaped items. Italy has chiacchiere, which are honey-drenched balls of pasta dough fried and dusted with powdered sugar. Poland, Hungary, and the Netherlands also eat donuts, and Holland has ollie bollen, puffy, donut-like pastries filled with apples, raisins, and currants.In certain cultures, it's customary to hide a special trinket or coin inside the cake—the recipient will be lucky in the new year.

蛋糕和其他烘焙点心在全球各地都是圣诞到新年间的食物，尤其是圆形、或环形的点心。（沪江小编按：求团圆、圆满，看来全球都一样嘛！）意大利人做chiacchiere。那是一种用蜂蜜浸透的面团、炸过再撒上糖霜吃；波兰、匈牙利和荷兰人吃甜甜圈。荷兰人的“甜甜圈”ollie bollen质地松软，里面的馅儿有苹果、葡萄干和加仑子。在某些文化里，还有把硬币塞进蛋糕里的传统，吃到的人来年会有好运气。

What Not to Eat

In addition to the aforementioned lucky foods, there are also a few to avoid. Lobster, for instance, is a bad idea because they move backwards and could therefore lead to setbacks. Another theory warns against eating any winged fowl because good luck could fly away.

除了这些幸运食物之外，相对的，也有一些最好在新年避开的食物。比如龙虾，因为它总是倒着爬，在新年吃它象征倒退，这样可不好。还有传统警告我们要避开所有带翅膀的家禽，因为它们暗示着幸运会飞走。

好啦，现在你知道西方人新年都吃什么、不吃什么了。细细看来，原来他们的习俗跟我们也有很多相近之处啊！你的家乡有什么特别的新年食品、或者新年禁忌吗？欢迎你在文章下方跟贴讨论！