German Traditions on New Year's Eve with Recipes (2024)

  1. Home
  2. New Year's Eve Traditions

German Traditions on New Year's Eve with Recipes (1)

by: Gerhild Fulson / Cookbook Author, Blogger, German Oma!

New Year's Eve recipes, aka Silvester or Silvesterabend, in Germany are based on some of the most traditional foods served throughout the year. But it's the combination that makes these foods so special.

For example, pork.

The pig has long been thought to bring good luck. That makes it a great symbol for New Year's. So, almost any food that includes pork is included in the party celebration and that includes the famous marzipan pig!

German Traditions on New Year's Eve with Recipes (2)

Foods such as pork sausages, Kassler, schnitzel . . . and for those who don't like meat, yes, there's the little pig made out of marzipan that you can buy at any German deli. A great New Year's Eve decoration!

An especially sought-after specialty to include among your New Year's Eve party ideas is to serve seafood, particularly carp.Trout, crab, lobster, salmon, and oysters are other possibilities.

When it's time for dinner, get traditional with Oma's favorite combinations. Get her collection in Oma's German Dinners, which include salads, soups, entrees, and desserts!

German Traditions on New Year's Eve with Recipes (3)

Take a peek atall Oma's eCookbooks. They make sharing your German heritage a delicious adventure!

What do these have to do with this celebration? No one really knows, except that it may have to do with an attempt to eat less fattening foods right after Christmas.

One unusual addition, also so German, is to servesauerkraut.

Go to recipe >

This is one of those "good-luck" foods.

The hope is that you'll have as much money as there are cabbage shreds in the pot. (Serve a LARGE pot!)

Want more money?

Then keep some of those fish scales from the carp and put one in your wallet.

It needs to stay there all year! Hide some others around the house.

Includelentil soup on the menu for more good luck. That will bring many coins into your pockets. Other soups are also included to bring a sense of well-being: soups such as carrot, green bean, and peas are most common.

When the clock strikes 12, start to serve the Mitternachtssuppe (midnight soup), also known as Goulash Soup. Yes, this very traditional German soup, that tastes great throughout the year, often finds itself as the first soup of the year. Mahlzeit!

Go to recipe >

German New Year's Eve Superstitions

Superstitions abound around the foods and good luck. Whether it be the pig, the carp, the lentils, or the sauerkraut, the end result is that whatever you use for your New Year's Eve party, ideas to include these superstitions makes for a fun time.

New German Traditions for New Year's Eve

More enjoyable is a newer tradition of making raclette, a type of cheese fondue. You'll need a special raclette grill that melts cheese that is served with vegetables and bread.

Other fondues are also enjoyed, whether used as party appetizers or buffets. The most popular are meat, vegetable, and, a personal favorite, chocolate fondue.

Party dessert recipes must include pretzels. Store-bought is good. Home-made is better :) Of course, other party appetizers and desserts are included as well. A charcuterie board covered with German cold cuts, German cheeses, German pickles ... anything German ... is a treat.

Oma says,

Can you visualize a game counting lentils? or sauerkraut? or fish scales?

What a great game to play for your New Year's Eve party!

You can always start your own traditions . . . just have fun.

Don't eat this for New Year's Eve!

What's not eaten for New Year's Eve is chicken or turkey.

Why?

One doesn't want all that good luck brought by the pig to fly away! Except, of course, for the New Year's goose that's eaten in the Rhineland area.

Traditional New Year's Eve Recipes

Goulash Soup

Krapfen - Jelly Donuts

Sauerkraut

Green Bean Soup

Sauerkraut Soup

Kasseler

Homemade Pretzels

Bratwurst ~ Pork Sausage

Red Lentil Soup

Prosit Neujahr! (May the New Year turn out well.)

and

Einen guten Rutsch ins neue Jahr! (a good slide into the new year!)

You might like these

  • Celebrating German Holidays and Customs

    Let's learn a bit about German holidays and customs and what it looks like to celebrate in Germany, the food, the fun, and the festivities!

  • Celebrating Valentine's Day in Germany

    Valentine's Day in Germany is a special day. A day for lovers to celebrate. A day for flowers. A day for chocolate. A day for something extra special. <3

  • Celebrating Pfingsten in Germany

    Pfingsten (Pentecost) is a public holiday in Germany. Weekend festivals and picnics are the way to celebrate.

Follow Oma on Social Media:

German Traditions on New Year's Eve with Recipes (20)

Leave a comment about this recipe or ask a question?

Pop right over to my private Facebook group, the Kaffeeklatschers. You'll find thousands of German foodies, all eager to help and to talk about all things German, especially these yummy foods.

Meet with us around Oma's table, pull up a chair, grab a coffee and a piece of Apfelstrudel, and enjoy the visit.

Newest Recipes

German Traditions on New Year's Eve with Recipes (21)

  1. The Best Jagerschnitzel Sauce: Oma's Mushroom Gravy for Jägerschnitzel

    Jagerschnitzel: Rich creamy bacon & mushroom gravy over crispy breaded pork schnitzel (cutlets). HEAVENLY! A traditional German meal that's PERFECT anytime.

    Go to Recipe

  2. How to Make German Schnitzel Recipe: Oma's Classic Schweineschnitzel

    Discover the ultimate German schnitzel recipe with Oma's quick and easy method - perfect for any occasion! Taste the authentic flavors of Germany today.

    Go to Recipe

  3. Oma's Favorite Finds offer a range of Oma’s favorite German-inspired must-have items that make cooking and entertaining more enjoyable, yummy, and efficient.

    Go to Recipe

* * * * *

Make every day a day of CELEBRATION!

"So whether you eat or drink, or whatever you do, do it all for the glory of God."

1 Corinthians 10:31

Top of New Year's Eve Recipes

German Traditions on New Year's Eve with Recipes (2024)

FAQs

German Traditions on New Year's Eve with Recipes? ›

Sauerkraut, midnight soup, marinated herrings and potato salad with sausages are just a few dishes to mention. The food is accompanied with the German popular drink, the Fire Tongs Punch a Feuerzangenbowle. The fireworks in the streets are private and take place at midnight.

What food do Germans eat on new year's Eve? ›

Sauerkraut, midnight soup, marinated herrings and potato salad with sausages are just a few dishes to mention. The food is accompanied with the German popular drink, the Fire Tongs Punch a Feuerzangenbowle. The fireworks in the streets are private and take place at midnight.

What is the German tradition for new year? ›

Welcoming the new year in Germany is very special, on New Year's Eve, each family in Germany will put a plate on the table, and in the plate there are 12 onions. These 12 onions are drilled with small holes to sprinkle with salt. And each onion is named for each month of the year.

What is the traditional meal for new year's Eve? ›

Black-eyed peas are an ingredient in a popular American dish called Hoppin' John. The dish includes a mixture of rice, pork, and black-eyed peas with a side of cornbread. Most legends believe eating them with greens, cornbread, and pork ensures the luck stays throughout the year.

What lucky seafood is traditionally eaten on new year's in Germany? ›

Pickled Herring

Fish, symbolic of fertility, long life and bounty (plus the color silver represents fortune), is a popular New Year's Eve dish in many cultures, and especially so for those of Scandinavian, German and Polish descent.

What is the German new year's Eve tradition lead pouring? ›

Bleigießen (literally "lead pouring") is a traditional activity held at the New Year to predict the fortune of the coming year. The different resulting shapes are identified based on their resemblance to any of various objects, animals, and structures, each with its own interpretation.

What do German people eat on new year's day? ›

These signify both excellent luck and richness of life for the new year. Sausages are cut into slices, so they look like coins, which symbolize wealth. Besides lentils and sausages, the rest of the menu is up to the host. Sauerkraut, schnitzel, etc., are also typical staples of this meal.

What do Germans say for Happy New Year? ›

''Happy New Year'' in German is: Frohes neues Jahr. For people who have not celebrated the new year with their friends or family on New Year's Eve, the traditional greeting to use is: Ich wünsche dir ein frohes neues Jahr.

What are the 7 Lucky new year's food traditions around? ›

7 Lucky New Year's Traditions
  • Grapes // Spain. Better hope all those grapes taste sweet! ...
  • Black-Eyed Peas // Southern United States. ...
  • Soba Noodles // Japan. ...
  • Pomegranate // Eastern Europe. ...
  • Lentils // Europe & South America. ...
  • Marzipan Pigs // Germany & Scandinavia. ...
  • Pickled Herring // Poland, Scandinavia.

What are 3 foods that are eaten on new year's Day? ›

Looking for prosperity? As Southern tradition dictates, black-eyed peas, greens, and cornbread represent pennies, dollars, and gold, respectively, so eating them together on New Year's will keep your purse full all year long.

What are you supposed to eat at midnight on new year's Eve? ›

Eating 12 grapes at the stroke of midnight comes from Spain. While most participants expected it to help them find love in the new year, the 12 grapes are supposed to bring you luck. However, if you don't finish all 12 grapes before the bells finish chiming you might not be granted the good fortune.

What is the most famous dish in Germany? ›

Top 5 foods in Germany
  • Schnitzel. You can find these everywhere in Germany from classy restaurants to street food vendors. ...
  • Spätzle. For a country that is big on their meat, one of the most famous German dishes is Spätzle; which is completely vegetarian. ...
  • Bratwurst. ...
  • Stollen. ...
  • Kartoffelpuffer.
Oct 17, 2016

What are 5 traditional foods in Germany? ›

Some popular German dishes include:
  • Bratwurst: Grilled or fried sausages made from pork, beef, or veal.
  • Sauerkraut: Fermented cabbage often served as a side dish.
  • Sauerbraten: Pot roast marinated in a sour sauce.
  • Wiener Schnitzel: Breaded and fried veal or pork cutlet.
  • Pretzels: Soft, twisted bread snacks.
Oct 1, 2023

What happens on new year's Eve in Germany? ›

New Year's Eve (Silvester) parties and traditions in Germany vary slightly between the regions. You can undoubtedly expect good food, gatherings, fireworks, and mulled wine. On New Year's Eve in Germany, public transport operates more or less as usual.

Why do Germans eat pork on new year's day? ›

According to Wild Brine, the Germans believe it will bring you good luck for the new year because pigs look forward not backward when they root for food. This tradition would begin in Germany and brought to the United States in the 17th and 18th centuries.

What food do Germans eat on Christmas Eve? ›

A German Christmas Eve

This culinary tradition continues today in many families, even if no church going is involved, with carp, salmon or hake often taking centre stage at the table, accompanied by fried potatoes or Kartoffelpuffer (potato fritters) and Sauerkraut.

References

Top Articles
Latest Posts
Recommended Articles
Article information

Author: Fredrick Kertzmann

Last Updated:

Views: 5883

Rating: 4.6 / 5 (46 voted)

Reviews: 85% of readers found this page helpful

Author information

Name: Fredrick Kertzmann

Birthday: 2000-04-29

Address: Apt. 203 613 Huels Gateway, Ralphtown, LA 40204

Phone: +2135150832870

Job: Regional Design Producer

Hobby: Nordic skating, Lacemaking, Mountain biking, Rowing, Gardening, Water sports, role-playing games

Introduction: My name is Fredrick Kertzmann, I am a gleaming, encouraging, inexpensive, thankful, tender, quaint, precious person who loves writing and wants to share my knowledge and understanding with you.