We all could use a little luck in the coming new year. Now, you don’t have to participate in any strange rituals in order for Lady Luck to be on your side in 2025. There is no definitive list of “12 fruits of New Year” or any set number of specific fruits associated with the New Year holiday, although 13-round fruits are sometimes consumed as well.
What are the 12 fruits of the New Year?
In several Asian cultures, especially Chinese and Vietnamese culture, it is common practice to serve a “tray of togetherness” with various fruits and snacks to welcome the Lunar New Year. This tray often includes things like tangerines, oranges, pomelos, pineapples, apples, pears, grapes, melons, and kumquats. The arrangement and exact fruits can vary.
What is the superstition about 12 fruits?
Many believe eating a few lucky fruits or simply displaying them around your home will do the trick.
Round fruits are said to symbolize money. For New Year’s Eve, many countries, including the Philippines, place 12 lucky fruits (sometimes 13) in the home to bring luck and prosperity in the New Year. Other cultures believe you can place these fruits in your home each month in 2025 to bring about health, happiness, and prosperity. Find out about the food traditions for New Year’s Eve.
Why not ring in the new year by calling on Lady Luck herself? Displaying and eating symbolic lucky fruits has long been a beloved New Years tradition around the world for ushering in prosperity, abundance, and sweet tidings in the coming year.
Follow along for our recommendations of 12 of the most auspicious fruits to incorporate into your New Year’s celebrations. Not only do these fruits make for vibrant and festive decor, but they’re also downright delicious snacks to indulge in as you reflect on 2023 and look with hope toward brighter days ahead in 2025:
Lucky Fruits for New Year’s Eve
The Tradition of Eating Round Fruits
Eating round fruits on New Year’s Eve is a beloved tradition in many cultures, believed to bring good fortune and prosperity in the coming year. The round shape of these fruits symbolizes unity, completeness, and the cyclical nature of time. In many Spanish-speaking countries, it’s customary to eat 12 round fruits at midnight, one for each stroke of the clock as it strikes midnight. This practice is thought to bring good luck and prosperity in the new year.
In the Philippines, the tradition of eating 12 round fruits is a cherished family custom passed down through generations. The fruits typically include apples, grapes, oranges, watermelon, pomelo, pineapple, pears, golden melon, guava, kiwi, rambutan, chico, and lemons. The round shape of these fruits is believed to symbolize unity and completeness, and eating them is thought to bring good fortune and blessings to the family.
The sweetness of the fruits is also believed to attract positive energy and remove negative energy from the previous year. In some cultures, it’s customary to eat sweet fruits like grapes and pineapple to invite good luck. This tradition is often combined with other auspicious foods to create a bountiful and prosperous New Year’s celebration.
In the American South, black-eyed peas are a popular ingredient in New Year’s Eve dishes, believed to bring good luck and prosperity in the coming year. The peas are often served with collard greens, which are thought to bring good fortune and remove negative energy. Eating round fruits and other auspicious foods is a beloved part of many New Year’s traditions and is believed to bring good luck and prosperity in the coming year.
Overall, eating round fruits on New Year’s Eve is a popular and enduring custom, believed to bring good fortune and prosperity in the coming year. Whether you’re eating 12-round fruits in the Philippines or black-eyed peas in the American South, the act of eating auspicious foods is a beloved part of many New Year’s traditions and is believed to bring good luck and prosperity in the coming year.
Lucky Fruit Calendar
January: Pineapples
The Chinese word for pineapple is “ong-lai,” which means “fortune cones”. Pineapples are also popular in feng shui as they symbolize success, prosperity, and wealth.
February: Oranges
The round shape represents coins, Good luck, and fullness. The color represents gold in Chinese tradition. Oranges are also chalked with Vitamin C. Eating them regularly this year can increase your chances of having good health.
March: Apples
The Chinese word for apple is “ping,” which means “harmony”. There are several varieties of apples to choose from so which one do you pick? If you want good luck, choose red apples. If money is what you are after, display green ones. You also can’t go wrong with having red AND green apples in your home. They also symbolize Peace and safety.
April: Grapes
This fruit represents luxury as these were traditionally eaten by royalty. They are often the fruit of choice in the Philippines to display on New Year’s Eve, symbolizing good luck and prosperity for the coming year. They also act as a nice centerpiece to the dining room table. Represents Success in all matters.
May: Bananas
Since this fruit comes in clusters, they symbolize unity. They represent increased wealth. Their yellow color also stands for happiness. Bananas are cheap, so they are easy to replace once they start to turn brown.
June: Mangos
The sweetness of this fruit signifies strong family ties and love. Mangos are also very healthy and can easily be added to drinks or foods without overpowering them. Mangos are associated with wishes coming true as well as increasing friendship and love.
July: Lemons
The fragrance and essence of lemons is known to cleanse and remove negative vibes. The bright color of this fruit can add a pop of color to any room, making it a great lucky fruit to display around your household. Lemons are often associated with purification, fresh starts, and optimism going into the new year.
August: Watermelons
This fruit symbolizes prosperity. Their many seeds stand for abundance. You don’t have to display huge watermelons around your home as smaller varieties are also available. Watermelons are popular round foods used in many New Year’s traditions for their symbolic meanings of abundance, prosperity, and harmony.
September: Papayas
Similar to the orange, this fruit represents gold in Chinese tradition. To bring about the most luck, choose the roundest-looking papayas you can find. They represent Luck & Fortune, New Beginnings, Harmony, and Vitality.
October: Lychees
The round, red body of this fruit stands for happiness and good fortune. One of the interesting features of lychees is that they have what looks to be a “dragon eye” in the middle of them when they are cut open.
November: Avocados
The unique green and purple colors of this fruit symbolize prosperity. They also make for a nutritious snack if you get hungry.
December: Pomelos
The pomelo’s bright red or pink pulp represents good health, abundance, blessings, and prosperity. The fruit has a sweet taste once you get past the thick rind.
Other Fruits can include Watermelon for abundance, Lemons to remove negative energy
As you raise a glass this New Year’s Eve, be sure to have plenty of these symbolic fruits on hand for snacking! Mix and match to make festive fruit salads, bake into pies and tarts, juice them into flavorful cocktails, and otherwise incorporate them into your celebrations. Not only do they look gorgeous as part of your holiday decor and centerpieces, but noshing on these fruits blesses you with health, wealth and happiness in 2025 ahead!
Other posts that may interest you:
New Years Traditions and Superstitions
New Years Lucky Foods Menu Ideas
