I love the fact that beans,
lentils and greens symbolize
prosperity in the New Year in
places as disparate as the American
South and the South of France I
wonder if it's really because
lentils and beans are round like
coins and swell when they cook, or
if it's because that's about all
anybody can afford to eat after the
excesses of the holiday season The
notion of thrift wouldn't apply to
some of the other foods that
symbolize good luck or prosperity
in certain cultures - fish, for
instance, or saffron