The small marzipan animal eaten in Germany for New Year’s good luck is a pig.
In German, the lucky pig is called a Glücksschwein. Small pigs made from marzipan are given or eaten around New Year’s as symbols of good fortune, prosperity and a promising start to the year. The tradition is part of a broader group of German lucky symbols that also includes chimney sweeps, four-leaf clovers and horseshoes.
Marzipan is a confection made chiefly from ground almonds and sugar, sometimes shaped and colored to resemble animals or other objects. The pig is especially suitable for festive symbolism because pigs have long been associated with abundance and prosperity in European folk traditions.
This custom should not be confused with every marzipan tradition in northern Europe. In Norway, Sweden and Denmark, marzipan pigs can be connected with Christmas customs involving a hidden almond in rice porridge. In Germany, however, the pig is particularly associated with New Year’s luck and is commonly called a Glücksschwein.