New Year is knocking on the doorstep. While making (and forgetting) resolutions and partying hard, is a global New Year ritual, did you know about these traditional practices from around the world? In Estonia, it is believed that the coming year would bring good luck and to usher it in, the people eat seven meals a day on New Year’s Eve or on the day itself. Why do, they eat seven meals a day? What are the beliefs behind it? What constitutes these seven meals? Indulge delves further.
Believed to bring good luck, prosperity and strength, this Estonian tradition calls for people to have seven meals a day on the occasion of New Year. Interestingly, some households even indulge in nine or twelve meals a day. Rooted within the Estonian and Northern European folklore, the numbers 7, 9 and 12 are believed to bring better beginnings. Seven is the most popular lucky number which represents the wholeness or completeness of life. In fact, eating seven meals a day is said to give a person the strength of seven people. Nine is considered as the number of power and magic. If seeking protection against bad fortune and illness, then eating nine meals a day would bring in wisdom and safety. Twelve, represents a month in the whole year. It means stability and success throughout the year.
If one is to be practical, eating 7, 9 and 12 proper meals a day would be too much for a person’s health. Thus, these meals are divided between full course and small portions. Some of the most popular items had during this time include barley porridge, boiled or roasted potatoes, rye bread, pea or beans, sausage, roasted pork, and Sauerkraut. Each of these items has symbolic meaning ranging from strength, full circle, sustenance, stability, and prosperity . Moreover, it is said to never complete the meal on the plate but leave a little to please the ancestors.
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