New Year 2025. Dishes that will bring good luck and culinary taboos.

According to the Eastern calendar, the Green Wooden Snake will be the symbol of the year 2025, symbolizing wisdom, sophistication, and strength. The Snake does not tolerate disorder and mediocrity, so it is important to adhere to high standards at the festive table to influence luck and well-being. The New Year's menu for 2025 should emphasize elegance, lightness, and love for healthy products, especially vegetables and greens, which are the favorite symbols of the Snake.

What to prepare for the festive table?

Among the appetizers, one can include canapés with various fillings, lavash rolls with red fish or vegetables, vegetable bruschettas based on whole grain bread, skewer snacks with a mix of cheese, vegetables, olives, and greens, cheese assortments, spinach roll with salmon, crab stick snacks in lavash, tartlets with cheese, vegetables, chicken, or turkey.

In the salad menu, one can include Greek salad with feta, olives, and fresh vegetables, warm salad with eggplant, tomatoes, and peppers, Georgian salad 'Glekhurad' with vegetables and nut dressing, salad with shrimp and avocado, light Olivier with yogurt or cream cheese, 'Pomegranate Bracelet' salad with chicken, mushrooms, and prunes, 'Chicken under a Fur Coat' with vegetables and tender chicken fillet, 'Green Harmony' with arugula, spinach, avocado with lemon sauce, salad with chicken, pineapples, and cheese.

Main dishes on the table can include baked fish in foil, chicken fillet in creamy sauce, potato gratin with cheese, pilaf with dried fruits and nuts, stuffed potatoes baked in the oven, Brussels sprouts in Italian style, seafood paella, bulgur with vegetables, potato casserole.

Among the desserts, one can prepare chocolate fondant, champagne jelly with oranges and pineapples, fruit salad with honey and nuts, jelly cake with oranges, tangerines, and kiwi, English pudding with dried fruits, brownies with lemon and lime, cranberry dessert with cream, peanut halva, vegan candies.

The menu can also include ingredients that symbolize abundance and prosperity, such as nuts, grains, and greens, as the Snake embodies harmony and reacts positively to such products.

What not to prepare?

The Green Wooden Snake values order, harmony, and sophistication, so it's necessary to avoid dishes that contradict these principles.

It is inappropriate to prepare fatty, complicated dishes or dishes made with semi-finished products. It is also advisable to avoid canned or frozen products, as the Snake prefers fresh vegetables that symbolize naturalness and harmony.

One should not indulge in alcohol or add many hot spices. The Snake will not approve of dishes that are hard to digest, such as legumes, desserts with buttercream, fatty meat or fish.

Meat and sausage cuts do not meet the Snake's requirements, as such products often contain preservatives and other additives. If you want meat snacks, it’s better to choose dietary turkey or chicken.

Fish on the table in 2025 is not recommended, both for gastronomic and esoteric reasons. It is believed that fish may contribute to the outflow of money from the family.

Chicken eggs should also be avoided, as they symbolize the protection of offspring for the Snake. The use of this product may be perceived as aggression, disrupting harmony and not bringing luck in the new year.

This year in Kyiv, Christmas and New Year celebrations will take place without mass events, fairs, and entertainment due to the decision of the Capital Defense Council. However, one can visit the Residence of St. Nicholas at the Great Lavra Bell Tower and the festive exhibition 'Unity of Christmas Generations' with the participation of Ukrainian artists.