Osechi
The boxed foods of the Japanese new year, each with a lucky meaning.
Also: osechi ryori
Osechi ryori is the set of foods, packed in tiered lacquer boxes, that Japanese families prepare or buy for the first days of the new year, so that the cook can rest. Each dish has a meaning: black beans for health, herring roe for many children, sweet rolled omelette for learning, shrimp for long life, kelp for joy and chestnut for success. They are eaten with zoni, a soup with rice cake, and sake. The custom has its roots in the Heian era. Many families now order boxes from department stores, and some include Western foods. The ingredients are chosen to keep without refrigeration.
Region: East Asia