Every year around Chinese New Year, we read about dishes that promise luck, long life, prosperity and togetherness. Longevity noodles promise a long life, whole fish symbolise abundance, and sweet rice balls stand for family togetherness. And almost instinctively, many of us think: wait, we do this too. Because in Indian homes, food has never been just about hunger. It’s about protection, hope, beginnings, and sending people out into the world with a little extra luck tucked into their stomachs.
Food Becomes A Symbol Of Luck In India And Beyond
Have you ever taken a spoonful of kheer before an exam or been fed dahi chini before a big trip? Do you notice lemons and chillies hanging outside a shop, or a new car or burning red chillies in your house to remove nazar? None of this feels unusual. It feels normal, almost instinctive. That’s because we grow up learning that food can carry intention.
That string of lemon and green chillies outside homes, shops, taxis, and even film sets is not decoration, it’s protection. The sour and the spicy are believed to distract negative energy and keep evil eyes away. And when something feels “off”, red chillies are burnt, circles are drawn, and suddenly the air feels lighter. Food here is used like a shield.
Every time there’s a new job, new house, new business or first day of something big, what’s the first thing someone says? “Kuch meetha ho jaaye.” It could be kheer, peda, gur, mishri, or a piece of mithai. The logic is simple and beautiful: start sweet, and the journey will follow. We don’t overthink it. We just do it because it feels right.
When someone is leaving home for something important, they’re fed dahi chini. Cool curd to steady the nerves and sugar to bring positivity. It’s a small moment, but deeply emotional. It’s a quiet way of wishing good luck. Even across Indian festivals, you’ll notice the same ingredients like rice, jaggery, ghee, and milk, showing up. From Pongal to Onam and Lohri to Makar Sankranti, food celebrates fullness. It’s not just a meal but also a wish: may our homes always have enough.
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Chinese New Year: Different Dishes, Same Belief
Now look at Chinese New Year food through this lens. Longevity noodles are eaten long and unbroken because cutting them is believed to cut life short. Whole fish symbolises surplus, almost like having more than you need. Dumplings, shaped like gold ingots, quietly represent the wish for wealth, and sweet rice balls represent family togetherness and harmony.
Lucky Foods Around The World
Sounds familiar, right? It’s because the intention is the same, just different food languages. And it doesn’t stop with India and China.
In Spain, people eat 12 grapes at the stroke of midnight on New Year’s Eve, one grape for each month ahead. Miss one, and you might just miss a bit of luck, too. In Italy, lentils are eaten on New Year’s because they resemble coins. It is believed that if you eat lentils, you will invite money and prosperity into your life. Japanese New Year dishes include black beans for health, sweet omelettes for knowledge, and fish roe for fertility.
No matter where you are in the world, people turn to food when they want protection, good beginnings, abundance, and togetherness. We hang it outside our doors. feed it to loved ones, and eat it before taking a leap of faith.
So whether it’s kheer in an Indian kitchen, noodles in a Chinese home, or grapes ticking away seconds in Spain, we’re all eating our wishes.
Cover Image Courtesy: President of India/X