Merry Christmas… and Happy (early) New Year!
But in Europe, New Year’s fortune-hunting comes with its own edible rituals—sweet, savory, sparkling, sometimes strange, but always a joy to partake in.
Forget another roundup of champagne cocktails—let’s try something more locally traditional this holiday season…
This continent-hopping menu of traditions Europeans swear by will bring prosperity, love, abundance, and maybe a little mischief into the year ahead.
Best of all?
You can recreate every one of them at home for your own midnight feast!
So grab a glass of something bubbly, loosen your waistband, and let’s toast to good fortune—one snack at a time.
Join us January 8. for our annual global index reveal.
Spain: Las Doce Uvas — Twelve Grapes, Twelve Wishes
Nowhere in Europe takes edible superstition as theatrically as Spain…
At the stroke of midnight, as the clock tower in Madrid’s Puerta del Sol tolls twelve times, Spaniards frantically pop one grape with each chime.
The goal: twelve grapes for twelve lucky months.
The reality: laughter, hiccups, and at least one person choking their way into January.
Try it at home: Buy small, seedless green grapes. Practice your pacing—one grape per second is surprisingly stressful. Turn it into a game: whoever finishes cleanly gets “the year of good fortune.”
Drink pairing: Cava, naturally. Dry, crisp, and authentically Spanish, it’s the perfect partner for a mouth stuffed with fruit and the hope of prosperity.
Italy: Lentils And Sausage — Coins And Abundance
Leave it to Italy to make prosperity comforting and delicious…
Across the Boot, New Year’s Eve means a warm bowl of lentils, meant to resemble tiny coins—an edible wish for financial fortune in the coming year. They’re almost always served with cotechino or zampone, rich pork sausages whose fattiness symbolizes abundance.
Try it at home: Sauté onions, garlic, and carrots; simmer lentils in broth; slice in roasted sausage. Cozy, rustic, and symbolic—Italy in a bowl.
Drink pairing: Prosecco. The bright acidity cuts through the sausage’s richness, and its natural sweetness plays beautifully with the earthy lentils.
Portugal: Bolo Rei — The Crown Of Good Fortune
Portugal’s Bolo Rei (King Cake) arrives in shops early in December and doesn’t leave until after Epiphany.
This dazzling, ring-shaped brioche is studded with candied fruits, nuts, and contains a hidden prize. Traditionally, whoever finds the surprise is crowned “king” for the day. (Less fortunately, they’re expected to buy next year’s cake…)
Many Bolo Rei come with a “fava bean” tucked inside, too—pull that, and you’re considered unlucky.
The Bolo Rei is culinary gamble, wrapped in dried fruit and sugar…
Try it at home: A store-bought brioche ring works as a shortcut. Add candied fruit, powdered sugar, and tuck in a (non-edible!) charm. Present it with a flourish.
Drink pairing: A lightly sparkling Portuguese espumante or a sweet Madeira to emphasize the cake’s festive warmth.
Greece: Vasilopita — New Year’s Cake And The Hidden Coin
On New Year’s Day, Greeks gather to cut the year’s first vasilopita, a tender, orange-scented cake with a hidden coin inside.
Each slice is assigned—one for the house, one for Saint Basil, and one for every person present. Whoever finds the coin is blessed with good luck for the year.
This tradition is less frantic than Spain’s grapes but no less suspenseful. There’s a moment of pure drama when someone’s fork hits metal.
Try it at home: Make a simple pound-cake-style loaf scented with orange zest. Wrap a coin in foil and bake it inside. The cake can double as your New Year’s morning breakfast.
Drink pairing: A glass of Greek moschofilero or a sparkling moschato—floral, bright, and perfect with citrus-scented sweets.
Germany: Sekt And Soft Pretzels — A Lucky Twist
In Germany, New Year’s Day is surprisingly carb-forward.
Families toast with Sekt, Germany’s beloved sparkling wine, and nibble on New Year pretzels, soft and golden, symbolizing luck and continuity.
Some pretzels are enormous—big enough for several people to share, tearing pieces like edible resolutions.
Try it at home: Buy or bake soft pretzels. Add sweet mustard on the side. Serve with chilled German Sekt—it’s fruitier and softer than Champagne, ideal for brunch.
Drink pairing: Sekt, of course (often made from Riesling or Pinot Blanc).
Denmark: Kransekage — A Tower of Almond Wishes
If you’ve ever seen a multi-tiered, swirling almond cake shaped like a tower, you’ve met Denmark’s Kransekage.
Eaten at midnight, it’s part celebration cake, part edible architecture. Rings of chewy almond marzipan are stacked into a cone and drizzled with icing.
Danes break it apart as fireworks burst overhead and toast with sparkling wine.
Try it at home: You can cheat with store-bought marzipan. Roll into rings, bake lightly, and stack. Even a wobbly Kransekage is charming.
Drink pairing: A slightly sweet sparkling wine like Asti Spumante or a demi-sec Champagne—marzipan needs something with a touch of sugar.
Other Magical Morsels Across Europe
Europe is full of curious New Year’s tastes…
- In Austria and Hungary: Eating pork (forward-rooting animals) is lucky; eating chicken (scratching backward) is not.
- In France: Oysters and Champagne—not exactly a “luck” ritual, but a national tradition.
- In Scotland: Hogmanay feasts include black bun fruitcake and whisky for first-footing.
- In Ireland: Smash bread against the door to ward off bad spirits—arguably cathartic.
Every country has its edible charms, and every family swears by their version.
Hosting Your Own “European Luck Banquet”
Want to adopt these traditions without booking a dozen flights?
Here’s a simple, festive menu that offers a tour of Europe’s most fun traditions in a single night…
- Start the night with cava and twelve grapes (Spain).
- Serve a hearty main of lentils and sausage (Italy).
- Offer dessert #1: Bolo Rei with hidden charm (Portugal).
- Offer dessert #2: Vasilopita for New Year’s Day (Greece).
- Toast again with a midnight snack of Sekt and pretzels (Germany).
- End the night with a marzipan ring from your Kransekage tower (Denmark).
Your guests will leave convinced they’re stepping into the luckiest year of their lives…
Which Tradition Will You Adopt For 2026?
Will you race the clock with grapes?
Break apart a marzipan tower?
Hunt for a hidden coin?
Or embrace the comforting promise of a bowl of lentils?
Whichever you choose, may your upcoming year be delicious—and delightfully lucky.
Bonne route,
Kat Kalashian
Editor, In Focus: Europe
