Eating for luck and prosperity

By Maurice Emery
Editor Emeritus

One hundred and fifty people spent time on New Years Day making sure they were on the right side of an annual tradition.

That tradition holds that if you eat certain foods on the first day of a year it will bring you good luck throughout the year. These traditions date back hundreds of years.

Traditions vary from country and/or regions. Research reveals that black-eyed peas are one of the leading foods for New Year’s Day. The menu may include other foods depending on where you are celebrating. Collard and cabbage seem to be the leading leafy vegetable. The leafy vegetable signifies money and is a sign of prosperity.

The meat portion of the meal changes from area to area. Corn beef is one of the meats widely eaten but more people consider parts of the hog as lucky. This probably is because to many people a hog signifies prosperity. Small amounts of ham, bacon or hog jowls are generally added to the black-eyed peas portion of the meal.

Another popular item that many people think will bring them good luck, if eaten on the New Year’s is corn bread.

The Littleton Lions Club has held a New Years brunch for years. Their menu this year included black-eyed peas with hog jowls, collard greens, sweet tomato pudding, and hush puppies. For dessert they had small individual packages of cookies that you could eat there or take home.

You could say their brunch for bringing good luck in the coming year covered all the food bases plus a little treat.