With the end of 2019 quickly approaching, I have fond memories that circle my mind daily.  I would like to share that growing up Italian with immigrant parents, many people would make comments that it was like being in Italy when they entered our home.  They were right!

However, I was very fortunate to have a family that invited and welcomed everyone into our home.  With that we had many traditions that carried over from not only Italy but all over the world. The ethnicity did not end with Italians but with beautiful individuals from everywhere.

With the start of the New Year we believed that eating certain foods would bring luck, health, happiness and of course prosperity. A couple of foods to share with you that I distinctly remember eating on new year’s day were lentil soup and pork sausage or roasted pork.  Lentils represent coins, wealth as well as health. Sausage or pork has an abundance of fat which symbolizes abundance and wealth.  We also dark green, sautéed broccolini which also represented health and money.  Finally, dried figs were served at our house, a sign of wisdom.  My mother, Armida enjoyed serving the figs cut in half with a piece of walnut between the halves.  Yummy!

Although regions of Italy and the world all celebrate differently,  no matter where you are on the globe we all have traditions or perhaps they are fun superstitions.   Find yours today and have fun with it for your family.  However you celebrate, I wish you much joy and happiness!

Cheers to a Happy  New Year!