Hoppin’ Johns …Happy New Year!
Eating black-eyed peas on New Year’s has been considered good luck for at least 1,500 years.
According the Talmud written around 500 A.D., it was Jewish custom at the time to eat black-eyed peas in celebration of Rosh Hashanah, the Jewish New Year. Possibly the tradition arrived in America with Sephardic Jews, who first settled in Georgia in the 1730s. What we do know is that peas and cornbread still grace the tables of Southerners on the first day of every year.
The humble nature of the black-eyed pea is echoed by the old expression, “Eat poor on New Year’s, and eat fat the rest of the year.” Another tradition to eat black eyed peas on News Year is that the dried beans loosely resemble coins, and as the dried beans greatly increase in volume, they symbolize increasing wealth. A lot of people closely associate good luck with monetary gain. That’s where the greens come in. You always eat a side helping of greens with your peas . Cornbread is added to the Southern New Year’s meal, and a well-known phrase is, “Peas for pennies, greens for dollars, and cornbread for gold.” Grandma tells her version of Black Eyed Peas and shares her recipe.Take a look.
For this Carolina Girl, black eyed peas and cornbread are just plain good eating . And tradition in our home is I add a dime in the pot and whoever has the dime in their bowl can expect very good luck in the coming year. And to keep the festive spirit of New Year’s Eve into the new year, mimosas are served . Toast to 2016. May you have happiness, wealth, luck and know the Grace of God! Cheers!
Pour a little of the juice of those delicious peas over your cornbread or onto your plate to sop up with your cornbread because this is delicious! The juice is known as “potlikker” or “pot liquor” by the fancy folks!
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