Southern US
Hoppin' John, also known as Carolina Peas and Rice, is a peas and rice dish served in the Southern United States. It is made with black-eyed peas (or red cowpeas such as iron and clay peas in the Southeast US) and rice, chopped onion, sliced bacon, and seasoned with salt.
In the southern US, eating Hoppin' John on New Year's Day is thought to bring a prosperous year filled with luck. The peas are symbolic of pennies or coins, and a coin is sometimes added to the pot or left under the dinner bowls. On the day after New Year's Day, leftover "Hoppin' John" is called "Skippin' Jenny" and further demonstrates one's frugality, bringing a hope for an even better chance of prosperity in the New Year.
The first written recipe for Hoppin John appeared in the Carolina Housewife in 1847.
Spain
Eating 12 grapes at midnight on New Year’s Eve is both a tradition and a superstition in Spain.
The tradition consists of eating a grape with each bell strike at midnight of December 31st. According to the tradition, that leads to a year of prosperity. In some areas, it is believed that the tradition wards away witches and general evil, although this "magic" is treated like an old heritage, and in modern days it's viewed as a cultural tradition to welcome the new year.
There are two main places where people gather to eat the grapes: with family after the dinner or in the main squares around the country, the Puerta del Sol in Madrid being the most famous place to do it.
The twelve grapes are linked to the Puerta del Sol tower clock, where this tradition started and from where the change of year is always broadcast.
Mexico
Tamales is a traditional Mexican dish made of masa or dough, which is steamed in a corn husk or banana leaf. The wrapping is discarded before eating. Tamales can be filled with meats, cheeses, fruits, vegetables, chilies or any preparation according to taste, and both the filling and the cooking liquid may be seasoned.
Tamales became one of the representatives of Mexican culinary tradition in Europe, being one of the first samples of the culture the Spanish conquistadors took back to Spain as proof of civilization.
Tamales are usually eaten during festivities such as Christmas, the Day of the Dead, Las Posadas, La Candelaria Day (February 2nd) and Mexican Independence Day.
The Netherlands
Oliebollen are a traditional Dutch delicacy eaten during winter. It is a custom for Dutch to have oliebollen on New Year ’s Eve, which explains the extra long queues at most of the oliebollen mobile stalls setup on various spots around the city. An oliebol generally costs some more than EUR1 per piece and with discount if you purchase in bulk.
Austria:
Austria, and its neighbour to the north, Germany, call New Year's Eve Sylvesterabend, or the eve of Saint Sylvester. Austrian revellers drink a red wine punch with cinnamon and spices, eat suckling pig for dinner and decorate the table with little pigs made of marzipan, called marzipanschwein.
Good luck pigs, or Glucksschwein, which are made of all sorts of things, are also common gifts throughout both Austria and Germany.
Japan
Toshikoshi soba, year-crossing noodle, is Japanese traditional noodle bowl dish eaten on New Year's Eve. This custom lets go of hardship of the year because soba noodles are easily cut while eating.
The custom differs from area to area and it is also called misoka soba, tsugomori soba, kure soba, jyumyo soba, fuku soba, and unki soba. The tradition started around Edo period (1603-1867) and there are several theories believed that long soba noodles symbolize a long life. The buckwheat plant can survive severe weather during its growing period, and soba represents strength and resiliency.
Poland and Scandinavia
Because herring is in abundance in Poland and parts of Scandinavia and because of their silver coloring, many in those nations eat pickled herring at the stroke of midnight to bring a year of prosperity and bounty. Some eat pickled herring in cream sauce while others have it with onions.
One special Polish New Year's Eve preparation of pickled herring, called Sledzie Marynowane, is made by soaking whole salt herrings in water for 24 hours and then layering them in a jar with onions, allspice, sugar and white vinegar.
Scandinavians will often include herring in a larger midnight smorgasbord with smoked and pickled fish, pate and meatballs./.