Many cultures believe in eating certain foods to start the new year, usually food that has symbolism related to things you wish to happen. Round food such as lentils or green leafy food such as kale or spinach stand for money; long noodles mean long life; fish mean abundance and moving forward. Combine items for added luck in one dish. You can make a whole meal of lucky foods!
I am from a Southern family, so we make sure to eat black-eyed peas for New Year's. If you are at my house, it's simmering in a crockpot, ready for spoonfulls to be distributed and eaten as soon as the midnight toasts are over. Then you can go back to eating other food! When I work at Hartford's First Night event, as I usually do, the Hoppin' John waits until I get home. (Of course, I can get a freshly-fried donut near the Carousel in Bushnell Park - sweet and round, for sweetness and money in the new year.) In my family, we use andouille sausage instead of bacon or ham, because my Dad is from Louisiana, or we do a vegetarian version that often has kale or collards added.
And if you still need some fast snacks for your New Year's Eve party, or for football-watching tomorrow, Bon Appetit has some updates to traditional snacks. They also offer a handy translation for "hangover" in various languages, in case you think English isn't creative enough, or want to know what a guest is moaning about.
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