What is the tradition of pork and sauerkraut?

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.

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Is sauerkraut and pork good for you?

Sauerkraut is high in fiber, vitamins A and K, and boosts the immune system with energy and iron. The fermentation needed to make sauerkraut produces live bacteria, or probiotics, which replenishes good bacteria in your gut and helps stop the growth of bad bacteria.

Is pork and sauerkraut a Pennsylvania thing?

A traditional Pa. Dutch/Coal Region dish often enjoyed at holiday time and New Year’s Day dinner.

Why should you eat pork on New Year’s Day?

Eating pork of any style on New Year’s Day is said to inspire progress throughout the year to come. According to German legend, pork is eaten on New Year’s Day because pigs look forward when they root for food, rather than chickens and turkeys, which scratch backward. Pigs are also plump, which portends prosperity.

Why do Pennsylvania Dutch eat pork and sauerkraut on new year’s?

Eating pork and sauerkraut Fresh pork was a prime dinner choice for Christmas and New Year’s meals for early Pennsylvania Dutch settlers because of the timing of winter hog butchering. Sauerkraut was served up as a side during cabbage harvesting season in the winter.

What shouldn’t you eat on new year’s day?

What NOT To Eat On New Year’s Day

Poultry & Winged Fowl. You should avoid eating anything with wings on New Year’s Day because it is believed your good luck will “fly away” with your meal.
Lobster, Shrimp & Crab.
Bottom-Feeding Fish.
White-Colored Foods.
Short Noodles.
Keep Leftovers.
Don’t Pass the Knife.

What states eat pork and sauerkraut?

In Pennsylvania, we make sure to eat pork and sauerkraut on New Year’s Day. But why? The Pennsylvania Dutch, as well as many other cultures, believe eating pork on New Year’s Day brings good luck because pigs root around with their snouts in a forward motion. (We want to move forward, not backward in the new year).

Why don’t you eat chicken on new year’s day?

For chickens, the idea is similar as they can scratch backwards. Other types of winged fowl are also discouraged as your good luck could fly away. While many of these traditions are based on mere superstition, the idea that what we do on the first day of the New Year affects our entire year remains popular.

Do not wash laundry on New Year’s day?

Who started pork and sauerkraut?

The origin of the pork and sauerkraut tradition The tradition, and the now-classic food pairing, can trace its origins back to Germany. Germans and other pig-raising cultures have been eating these dishes for centuries, with immigrants bringing the tradition to the United States in the 17th and 18th centuries.

Why can’t you do laundry on New Year’s day?

Don’t do laundry on New Year’s Day, or a member of the family will be washed away (i.e., die) during the coming year. Doing laundry on New Year’s Day will wash a year of good fortune down the drain. Don’t do laundry on New Year’s Day, or you will have more laundry than usual to do all year.