Luck & Prosperity or not? Folk Lore continues….
According to Folk Lore, the first food eaten on New Year’s Day for luck and prosperity throughout the year ahead is Black-eyed Pea. In Folk lore I found a couple variations on when we should eat these peas. One legend states folks must all retire to bed one and half hour before the clock strikes mid-night, failure to do so brings bad luck. Then they must rise as soon as the day rolls over at 12:01 a.m. and eat a bowl of black-eyed peas and continue eating them throughout the day to ensure luck and prosperity.
The Southern practice of eating black-eyed peas for luck is believed to date back to the Civil War. These peas were planted as food for livestock therefore the fields of black-eyed peas were ignored as Sherman's troops destroyed or stole other crops. The humble, but nourishing, black-eyed pea took on an important role as a major food source for surviving Confederates. For the best chance of luck every day in the year ahead, one must eat at least 365 black-eyed peas on New Year's Day.
As the years have gone by the tradition of eating black-eyed peas for the New Year has evolved into a number of variations and embellishments of the luck and prosperity theme. They must be served with greens (collards, mustard or turnip greens, which varies regionally), the peas represent coins and the greens represent paper money. In some areas cabbage is used in place of the greens, which is my family’s tradition. Cornbread, often served with black-eyed peas and greens, represents gold. Black-eyed peas eaten with stewed tomatoes represent wealth and health.
In some areas, actual values are assigned with the black-eyed peas representing pennies or up to a dollar each and the greens representing anywhere from one to a thousand dollars. Had I known this as a child, I surely would have eaten more of them. Adding a shiny penny or dime to the pot just before serving is another tradition practiced by some. When served, the person whose bowl contains the penny or dime receives the best luck for the New Year, unless of course, the recipient swallows the coin, which would be a rather unlucky way to start off the year.
There is no way to enjoy luck and prosperity if you avoid black-eyed peas! The catch to all of these superstitious traditions is that the black-eyed peas are the essential element and eating only the greens without the peas, for example, will not do the trick.
Personally, I only eat them about once a year, but even most avid fans of black-eyed peas will concede that enjoying the flavor, frequently described as nutty, earthy and buttery, is an acquired taste. Whether to enhance or disguise the flavor, depending on your point of view, there are several popular ways to serve black-eyed peas, other than as a simple side dish.
My family prefers rice with the beans, as I research this is often called Hoppin’ John. You can find it served throughout the year, but Hoppin' John is one of the most traditional New Year's Eve and New Year's Day dishes in the South. Black-eyed peas are cooked with rice, pork (such as chopped pork or ham, hog jowls or hambones, fatback or bacon) and seasonings. Sometimes chopped onions and hot sauce are added.
So, whether you choose to follow the Southern New Year's tradition or not, black-eyed peas are a good source of nutrition. According to the U.S. Department of Agriculture, black-eyed peas are low in fat, contain no cholesterol, and are low in sodium. They are high in potassium, iron, and fiber and a one-half cup serving of cooked black-eyed peas counts as one ounce of lean meat from the Meat, Poultry, Fish, Dry Beans, Eggs and Nuts Group of the Food Guide Pyramid.
This information led me to discover black-eyed peas are actually not peas at all, but rather a variety of bean related to the cowpea and categorized as legumes, having both edible seeds and pods. According to the Library of Congress, they have been cultivated in China and India since pre-historic times and were eaten by the ancient Greeks and Romans. Early records from 1674 indicate that black-eyed peas were transported from West Africa to the West Indies by slaves. Subsequently, they reached the Low country coastal regions of the Carolinas and Georgia, also via the slave trade, more than 300 years ago.
So, there you have it. Black-eyed peas are legend, depending on your own personal taste buds. I certainly hope if you avoid them, you still have luck and prosperity in the coming New Year. Oh by the way, let me know if you have other traditions as well; and definitely if they don’t work!!
Happy New Year to All!
Tracy Gilbert Brown
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