PeasGreensCornbread

If you are planning to celebrate the New Year in the Southeast USA, it is most likely that you will be offered black-eyed peas in some form, on New Year's Day.  According to Southern folklore, these beans are to be eaten on New Year's Day for luck and prosperity throughout the year ahead.

The practice of eating black-eyed peas for luck is generally believed to date back to the Civil War. At first planted as food for livestock, and later a food staple for slaves in the South, the fields of black-eyed peas were ignored as Sherman's troops destroyed or stole other crops, thereby giving the humble, but nourishing, black-eyed pea an important role as a major food source for surviving Confederates.

Today, the tradition of eating black-eyed peas for the New Year has evolved into a number of variations of the luck.

Including:

   Served with greens (collards, mustard or turnips) the peas represent coins

   and the greens represent paper money.

   Cornbread, often served with black-eyed peas and greens, represents gold.

    

Yep, all three (greens, peas and cornbread) made the menu today at our house, but only because we live in the South.  Our daily lives and heartbeats are controlled by our Heavenly Father, our Creator, our King, our Redeemer, our Protector, our Everything!  

This Southern Tradition sure was good!  Lord, direct our minds, hearts and paths as we begin this New Year following You.!