Germans call New Year's Eve "Silvester," in honor of Pope Sylvester I, who died on December 31, 335. According to the legend, non-believers who were around him choked on fish bones. Some superstitious people therefore state that one should avoid fish that night, or at least eat it very carefully. However, a separate superstition reverses these concerns. Carps are seen as a blessed charm. That is why this fish is a typical Silvester dish for many Germans. It is assumed that it is packed with cash all year round to retain a carp size in your pocket. These lucky charms, in combination with the positive resolutions Germans like to make during the New Year, are bound to make the New Year an exceptional year.
