12/31/2023
THE SOUTHERN WAY OF
PREPARING FOR NEW YEAR’s DAY
Why do Southerners eat Black Eyed Peas, Pork, Greens & Cornbread on New Year’s Day?
History Unlocks The Mystery …
The story of the Southern tradition of eating black-eyed peas, pork, greens & cornbread for lunch/supper on New Year's Day is believed to date back to the Civil War era, specifically the winter of 1864 - 1865.
That’s when General Sherman (of the Union Army) led his invading troops on their devastatingly destructive march through Georgia.
The Union foragers plundered the land, taking everything that was of value and/or use to them that they could carry or haul away; and, whatever they couldn’t take with them was either set ablaze or left in broken or ripped to shreds & scattered in the wake of their march.
But two things did remain, the lowly black-eyed peas and good ol’ Southern salted pork. (The fields of black-eyed peas were largely left untouched because they were deemed fit only for animals & apparently they didn’t find the savory pork of the South particularly tasty.)
As a result, the humble yet nourishing black-eyed peas saved surviving Southerners - mainly women, children, elderly and the disabled veterans of the Confederate Army - from mass starvation that Winter and were henceforth regarded as a symbol of good luck.
The black-eyed peas are said to represent good fortune. Having a stockpile of these was certainly fortunate - dare I say lifesaving, to many Southern families and soldiers during that dreadful Winter … for without them, many more Southerners would have died of starvation!
According to the tradition and folklore, the peas are served with several other dishes that symbolically represent good fortune, health, wealth, and prosperity in the coming year. Some folks still traditionally cook the black-eyed peas with a silver dime in the pot as a symbol of good fortune.
Greens represent wealth and paper money. Any greens will do, but in the South the most popular ones are collards, turnip greens, spinach, and cabbage.
Cornbread - a regular staple among Southerners in the absence of wheat - symbolizes gold and is very good for soaking up the juice from the greens on the plate.
You should always have some cornbread on hand in your kitchen anyway. Good substitute for dinner rolls, when buttered! 😊
Pork symbolizes bountiful prosperity and progressing into the year ahead. Ham is typical with the New Year meal, though sometimes bacon will be used instead. Pigs root forward, so it’s the symbolic moving on from the past & forward for the New Year.
Tomatoes are often eaten with this meal, too. They represent health & growth.
So if/when you sit down at your family table to enjoy this humble, uniquely Southern meal on New Year’s Day, take time to reflect of the history behind this tradition. Be thankful for what this year brought you in spite of the bad things you endured; yet hope and pray for better days ahead for you, your loved ones, & our nation.
That was what the ol’ Southern kinfolk did each year … and in light of the internal division & animosity brewing in our nation currently - coupled with the fact we are heading into another bitter election cycle this year, I wanted to share these traditions with all of you - regardless of the place of your birth on this, God’s footstool, called Earth. ♥️
Yes, we have our differences (big & small) but we decide what to focus on each day. If we focus on our differences, we’re sowing seeds of discord, division & destruction. But if we choose to focus on what we share in common, we’re sowing seeds of hope, harmony… and giving our nation an opportunity to heal. I choose the latter & I hope you will, too.
Despite what Satan would have us believe, open dialogues / discussions do NOT have to result in discord. On the contrary, they provide an opportunity to hear another person’s perspective, contemplate their reasoning, discover common ground or misunderstandings, &/or build bridges of mutual respect with those who hold opposing views … all of which is good. We may never agree on certain topics - which is fine, let an honest vote decide the outcome of those, but there’s no reason to be hateful & disrespectful to each other in the process!
Above all else, I pray that you & your loved ones experience a closer walk with Jesus in 2024 than ever before. May your days overflow with health, wealth & wisdom so there is always enough to spare whenever there’s a need to share! ♥️
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*This post is straight from my heart but it was originally inspired by & subsequently adapted from a post made by my friend, Sandy Aiken.
