A Pennsylvania Dutch New Year

New Years Day in my family is a day of overeating! Most people start out the first day of a new year with some kind of resolution to eat better and get in shape. In my family we wait until second day of the New Year. I grew up in Pennsylvania, and according to my Dad it was considered good luck by the Pennsylvania Dutch to eat sauerkraut on the first day of the New Year. Every New Years Day my family planned a day of eating around sauerkraut. In the early years my mom would prepare a crock pot of pork and sauerkraut and let it simmer throughout the day while my family lounged around watching football. Mashed potatoes and corn were also part of the menu. This was the only time of the year where I could pile sauerkraut on top of my mashed potatoes, one of my favorite combinations.

Over the years, as my Dad became less fond of pork, the menu switched to hot dogs and sauerkraut in the crock pot. Mashed potatoes were exchanged with cut up Muenster cheese and pretzels. One thing that always stayed the same was the sauerkraut. There was no set time to eat; we ate throughout the day in between catnaps and football games. It was a lazy day for my family, like a wind down from all the excitement of the previous holidays. Although I am not Pennsylvania Dutch myself, the tradition of sauerkraut on New Years day has been a tradition I still follow many years later with my own family. In fact, my husband has become so hooked to sauerkraut on New Years Day that he is usually the one to remind me to plan the meal!