New Year's Traditions

Many of us have a great tradition, especially when it comes to the Holidays or the New Year's Eve celebration (and actual New Year's day). When it comes to food, we all have a long-established custom as to what to eat or drink - a custom that has been passed by our culture and passed generation to generation.

I am from Venezuela and one food tradition we have in Venezuela is eating 12 grapes at midnight at New Year's Eve...

These grapes represent the 12 months of the year that come with a wish per month. It is a way to individually establish new purposes & goals that each person wants to achieve during the year. Once midnight arrives on New Year's Eve, there should be 12 chimes heard - as a way of announcing the new year has arrive - and this is the moment when the grapes are eaten while making the 12 wishes.

Another great culinary tradition that Venezuelans have is eating a delicious sancocho soup. For all of you who are not Latin American, this is a traditional hardy soup in several Latin American countries.

Sancocho also known as Hervido or a Cruzado soup

Many countries do have this soup but each one has it's version of it - different vegetables or different mixture of beefs, chicken, or other types of meats. Sancocho is a major Venezuelan cuisine dish that is not usually accompanied by other foods - except for simple Arepas on the side instead of regular bread. This soup is a common dish at celebrations as an after meal - according to popular belief, it is served as a cure for hangover. For this reason, it's a MUST HAVE dish on New Year's Day. And believe me, this was something I had yesterday on January 1st for New Year's day celebration.

When it comes to culinary traditions, we all have great ones that have a great meaning for cultural or sentimental reasons. Grapes and sancocho are two (2) of my culinary traditions - what are yours? I would love to learn from you at the comment's area...