Why You Should Eat Sauerkraut on New Year’s Day
When a new calendar year starts on January 1st, Americans across the country will enjoy the deliciously pungent aroma of a famous culinary tradition: Sauerkraut on New Year’s Day. Where did the tradition start? And why do we eat sauerkraut on New Year’s?
Viel Glück!
Germans have been eating pork and sauerkraut on New Year’s for generations because they believe it brings good luck (viel glück in German). As these kraut lovers immigrated to the Midwest, they brought their traditions with them, including this one. That’s why in Ohio and Pennsylvania, which received many German immigrants in the 17th and 18th centuries, people are almost religious about this delicious duo.
Legend also says that pork is enjoyed because pigs look forward when they root for food, rather than chicken and turkeys which scratch backward, just as the Germans were looking ahead to the New Year. They also wished each other as many riches as there are shreds of cabbage in the sauerkraut they eat. We like that one.
The Practical Magic of Sauerkraut on New Year's Day
While we all want a bit of luck and riches, we’re more excited about the practical magic of sauerkraut on New Year’s Day. Generations ago, the Germans likely felt better after eating their beloved fermented cabbage and recognized sauerkraut’s digestive and immune-boosting properties. Today, we can’t think of a healthier tradition than starting off your new year with sauerkraut, although the modern kraut lover might enjoy this crunchy treat a bit differently – forego the pork, preferring a plant-based diet or eat it raw rather than cooked to avoid killing off the probiotics. You’ll get a digestive boost from this live food, helping to cultivate your inner biome and keep your good bacteria behaving. And, all the fast-absorbing vitamins and minerals that flood your system will help relieve any leftover “mistakes” of the previous night.
If your New Year’s resolution is to be healthier or stay healthy, the sauerkraut tradition will help you start right away. Read all about how sauerkraut helps your body here.
No matter how you enjoy your sauerkraut on New Year’s Day, remember that what’s good for you on January 1st is just as good for you the rest of the year. So February 1st, April 23rd and November 16th are all excellent days to enjoy the health benefits and delicious tang of sauerkraut. And, if you happen to find a little luck, all the better.
Happy New Year, all year!
Judee
Always have pork and sauerkraut on New Year’s Day. Mashed potatoes, green beans and applesauce.
Melanie
Me too! Except we usually have green peas instead of green beans. We also have creamed corn we pour atop the mashed potatoes! Happy New Year!
Jack Snyder
Does anyone know when they started this tradition? I need the answer for a school project.
The wild Bunch
Hi Jack – as best as we can tell, it was to celebrate a successful cabbage harvest. Hope this helps!
Bobby
Might try My luck eating sauerkraut with with German smoked beef &pork sausage mixture yummy
The wild Bunch
Happy New Year Bobby! No luck required with that delicious combo 🙂
Pattimom3
Growing up in PA, my mom would cook a big batch that we would enjoy with mashed potatoes, AND to round out the tradition we also watched the Phila. Mummers parade all day. These two things go hand in hand for me!
The wild Bunch
Smart Mom, that one!
Patrick McNees
Kielbasa, sauerkraut, and mashed potatoes.
The wild Bunch
Great combo!!
Larry
Coming from a German/Irish back ground, We have our kraut with sausage at Midnight ,Folklore is that if you have your kraut at Midnight New Years Eve ,You won’t go broke the rest of the year 🙂
The wild Bunch
Let us know how that works out Larry!
JC
Love saurkrout and mashed potatoes with pork chops, one of my favorites.
The wild Bunch
Totally agree!
Jack Krell
It’s a tradition in our house ever since I was a little kid gotta keep it up nothing like tradition.
The wild Bunch
We couldn’t agree more Jack!
BarneysBurgers
This year we not only had the traditional sauerkraut with pork, mashed potatoes and peas. We had made a bunch to can at the end of October so we had a small bowl fresh out of the crock kraut (used a 6 gallon fermenting bucket for making wine with airlock valve), kraut cooked in the crackpot with pork, and also canned 12 quarts and 10 pints. Does that mean we get extra credit good luck? 😁 We still have 3 more 6 gallon buckets to can too. One will be ready tomorrow and the other two next weekend…. They had a killer deal on cabbage this fall at the place we get the vegtables we don’t grow and had just bought a slicer so I might have gotten carried away..lol
The wild Bunch
Now that’s living!! Enjoy.