Workers have installed nearly 200 glittering Waterford crystal triangles on Times Square's New Year's Eve ball in preparation for a pandemic-limited celebration.
Q: I know about the tradition of eating black-eyed peas and collard greens on New Year's Day, but since those are often thought of as American dishes, do other countries eat them for good luck, or is this only an American tradition?
N.Y.
Answer: Many countries have food customs for their New Year festivities, some of which are more elaborate than ours.
One Spanish tradition holds that 12 grapes are to be eaten at midnight, one for each stroke of the clock, and in Italy, cotechino con lenticchie (sausages and green lentils) is served; since the lentils plump up in water, it's believed they symbolize growing wealth. Lentils are also good luck in Hungary, where they are served in soup.