Start The New Year Off Right With These Delicious, Traditional New Year's Foods In Pittsburgh
By Beth Price-Williams|Published December 31, 2020
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Beth Price-Williams
Author
A professional writer for more than two decades, Beth has lived in nearly a dozen states – from Missouri and Virginia to Connecticut and Vermont – and Toronto, Canada. In addition to traveling extensively in the U.S. and the U.K., she has a BA in Journalism from Point Park University (PA), a MA in Holocaust & Genocide Studies from Stockton University (NJ), and a Master of Professional Writing from Chatham University (PA). A writer and editor for Only In Your State since 2016, Beth grew up in and currently lives outside of Pittsburgh and when she’s not writing or hanging out with her bunnies, budgies, and chinchilla, she and her daughter are out chasing waterfalls.
We’re almost there, fellow yinzers! We’ve finally made it to the end of what has been quite an indescribable year. We’ve closed the door on 2020, with cheers and hope that the upcoming year will be so much better. The beginning of a new year also brings with it some traditions, including in indulging two traditional New Year’s foods.
Kick off a brand new year with a hearty and a lucky traditional meal. Pork or kielbasa with sauerkraut has long been a popular New Year’s Day meal in Pennsylvania. A tradition that started in Germany, the inaugural meal of the year features pork for a reason.
When foraging for food, pigs move their snouts forward. That forward moving motion signifies you’ll make progress in the coming year when you eat pork.
If you eat sauerkraut, which is made with cabbage, alongside that pork or kielbasa, you’ll benefit in two ways. Because the cabbage is green before being made into sauerkraut, it signifies money, which superstition translates into making more money in the coming year.
Don’t forget dessert. A tradition that’s believed to have started in southwestern Germany, eating a soft pretzel on New Year’s has become a popular Pittsburgh tradition, too.
However, you won’t bite into any ordinary soft pretzel The New Year’s pretzel, often oversized, is generally topped with traditional salt, sugar, or even cheddar.
You can also opt for a stuffed pretzel. While stuffing flavors may vary depending on what bakery you go to, you might have a variety of choices – from apple to cheese.
The New Year’s Pretzel, sometimes called the Good Luck Pretzel, is said to bring you happiness in the brand new year. How good your luck turns out just might coincide with how many of those pretzels you eat.
If you just want ordinary good luck, eat a single pretzel. However, if you’re really yearning for your best year yet, go for three pretzels. You’ll still have great luck if you just eat two pretzels, though.
What are your favorite New Year’s foods? Let us know in the comments! If you’re still looking for fun things to do this winter, how about a session or two of snow tubing at Hidden Valley Resort?
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