Calvin Dean's Blog - Posts Tagged "new-year"

Serving black-eyed peas and cabbage on New Year's Day is a staple at my house. I grew up with this tradition said to bring good luck, and passed it on to my kids.

According to the Library of Congress, peas symbolize coins while the green leaves of cabbage share the color of paper money. The dish can be flavored by adding bacon, ham bone or pork neck bones while cooking. I simply use chicken broth.

Cornbread is a common side dish here in the deep south. Cooked golden brown, cornbread represents gold, another reference to prosperity.

Skeptics might claim the tradition is discredited due to the last few years of Covid followed by inflation. But I say imagine where we'd be if we'd not kept this New Year's Tradition.

Now, run along to the store and get plenty of black-eyed peas, cabbage, and cornbread, and may 2023 bring you and yours plenty of good luck.