Why You Should Think Twice About Having Chicken For New Year's

New Year's, for many people, represents a fresh start. In the heart of the dark and dreary winter season, a sparkling ball shines lights on all of our hopes and ambitions. Given the recent run of less-than-stellar years that many of us have had, setting yourself up for success in the new year is more important than ever. To ensure a year of prosperity, you need to avoid a number of different comestible pitfalls.

You might have a carefully thought out and attainable resolution, but if you eat the wrong meal at your New Year's Eve Party, it could spell disaster. According to Chicken and Chicks Info, eating chicken on New Year's is unlucky — or rather, un-clucky. If you do happen to munch a few chicken wings or snag a few bites from that bowl of chicken salad that your neighbor brought to the party, you could find yourself spending the year desperately clawing for good fortune.

Per St. Louis Magazine, the superstition surrounding eating chicken on New Year's draws its inspiration from the bird's method of searching for food. When chickens scratch at the ground, they do so backward, which is the wrong direction to go in the New Year. Additionally, you may find yourself similarly forced to scratch for scraps. The Spruce Eats tells us that the misfortune also stems from the fact that chickens have wings, so eating one on New Year's Day could make your good fortune fly the coop.

However, you don't have to worry about going hungry on January 1. There are a number of lucky foods to choose from. St. Louis Magazine explains that eating pork has the opposite effect of eating chicken because pigs move forward while scrounging around for food.

If you overindulge on the champagne on New Year's Eve, it's entirely possible that you'll wake up on New Year's day with a holiday hangover. If you have the favored hangover food, pizza, you won't even be thinking about that chicken.