New Year's wish: I want to live forever -- or at least a really long time.
Prescribed food: Long noodles. Or, according to a Korean New Year's tradition, a bowl of steaming rice cake soup.

New Year's wish: Show me the money.
Prescribed food: Fish prepared and served whole -- that means including the head and tail.

New Year's wish: I want to live the sweet life.
Prescribed food: Candies and fruits. A Chinese tradition is to offer oranges at the end of the meal -- the symbolic reasoning being that only the sweet taste of life should linger in your mouth.

New Year's wish: Tax-free good fortune.
Prescribed food: Foods that are red in color -- like lobster.

New Year's wish: Spiritual cleansing.
Prescribed food: Vegetables -- and lots of 'em.

New Year's wish: A quick karmic pick-me-up.
Prescribed food: Crispy-skinned chicken or pork.

New Year's wish: Buns in the oven.
Prescribed food: Chestnuts and dates. On the other hand, if you'd rather wait another year (or forever), be sure to avoid them.