New Year's Day Tradition of Pork & Sauerkraut

For as long as I can remember on New Year's Day we had  pork & sauerkraut for dinner. I was told it brings good luck to the coming year. Why this is I really had no idea or actually where this tradition came from. I was told it was a German tradition yet many friends regardless of nationally serve this same meal. Today while my pork and sauerkraut is slowly cooking and filling the house with the delicious aroma I googled to find out just where this came from.
What I found on this tradition of eating pork and sauerkraut on New Year’s day is both German and Pennsylvania Dutch.

“For people of several nationalities, ham or pork is the luckiest thing to eat on New Year's Day. How did the pig become associated with the idea of good luck? In Europe hundreds of years ago, wild boars were caught in the forests and killed on the first day of the year. Also, a pig uses its snout to dig in the ground in a forward direction. Maybe people liked the idea of moving forward as the New Year began, especially since pigs are also associated with plumpness and getting plenty to eat. However the custom arose, Austrians, Swedes, and Germans frequently choose pork or ham for their New Year's meal. They brought this tradition with them when they settled in different regions of the United States. New Englanders often combine their pork with sauerkraut to guarantee luck and prosperity for the coming year. Germans and Swedes may pick cabbage as a lucky side dish, too.” (Lynn Olver, Ed. The Food Timeli

 Cabbage  is a late fall crop, the most efficient way to preserve it for the winter was by turning it into sauerkraut. Brining cabbage takes 6 to 8 weeks, which means that October kraut would be ready to eat just as the new year was arriving.
Just like years past I will eat my pork and sauerkraut in hopes for a wonderful 2016. If nothing else its a really good meal and easy to make.

Happy New Year!