Food traditions abound on New Year's Day. In our family, we usually go to a local Chinese restaurant, gorge ourselves on fried rice, noodles, and hot tea, and then walk it all off with a stroll on the beach. Growing up, my cousin Bonnie would host a cioppino feed on New Year's Day with a traditional tomato broth-based Italian stew studded with fresh, local seafood—a San Francisco tradition. This year, nobody was in the mood for Chinese food and it's been several years since Bonnie had her cioppino feed. What to do? Comfort food was definitely in order. We ended up feasting on a pot of Cajun-style red beans and rice and a hearty rice pudding. What are other people eating on New Year's Day? Often, the foods served on the first day of the new year signify abundance, wealth, and prosperity. Here's a round-up of global traditions to whet our appetites and imaginations as we welcome 2020:

Have you tried to make any of these traditional dishes on New Year's Day? Do you have a customary dish of your own? Leave a comment. We'd love to hear about it.

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