The Southern Tradition Of Black Eyed Peas For New Year

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sltm1

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For over 20 yrs now, my Texas born wife has insisted on having black eyed peas and ham for New Years Eve dinner, no reason, just tradition....I finally discovered the reason, WHY, it's a Southern tradition. In 1864, when General Sherman made his infamous "march to the sea", which ended at Savanna Georgia, his army had "procured" everything that there was to eat, both vegetable and animal. However, they left huge silo's of black eyed peas undisturbed, because that was merely animal feed and the army thought it wasn't fit for human consumption. Out of the need to survive, the people of the vanquished South ate the black eyed peas simmered with pork bones for survival on New Years 1865, thus started the tradition that still holds true.
 
It surely is tradition around here. All the stores have a big display of blackeye peas, various pork cuts (all bone-in), and a rack of collards. And it's the first thing anybody asked today when I spoke to them. "Got yer blackeyes and collards ready today?"
Supposedly the peas, pork and greens are supposed to bring luck and money in the year ahead. I haven't noticed it working that way, but as usual, I fixed me a pot of both, just in case. :D:D:D
 
My mother had us eating them as long back as I can remember on new years and occasionally in between. I never could really develop a liking for them so I have to substitute beans. The leftover ham bone from xmas is just right to cook up the pot on new years day.
I have a pea farm just down the road from my house and they stay busy though, so I guess the traditions survive.
 
I was once told that the black eyed peas and collards represented wealth for the new year. The peas were coins and collards were paper money. It's similar to a Scottish tradition I heard my step father did on New years. He would go outside 1 minute before midnight and 1 minute after midnight he would come back in with a bottle of whiskey, a loaf of bread and a coin, that all symbolized wishes for the new year for plenty to drink, food to eat and money in his hand. My step dad passed in 2002 so I can't ask how true it was.
 
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