December 22, 2009

Growing Green
with Extension Educator Robin Trott

Hoppin’ John and Black-Eyed Peas

Growing up in Maryland, and living much of my adult life in the Southern US, I have adopted the tradition of serving up black-eyed peas on New Year’s Day. If you’re not familiar with this particular tradition, let me enlighten you. Eating Black-eyed peas on New Year’s is supposed to bring the eater good luck and prosperity in the coming year. My favorite dish to prepare is “Hoppin’ John”. This is a traditional southern dish containing black-eyed peas and rice, with chopped onion and sliced bacon, seasoned with a bit of salt. (Good hearty eating on that COLD New Year’s Day.) The peas are symbolic of pennies or coins, and a coin is sometimes added to the pot or left under the dinner bowls. Served up with a side of dark green veggies, which add to the wealth since they are the color of money, you are guaranteed to have a prosperous year. Not that I am the superstitious sort, but I always like to hedge my bets. Here are some other traditions/superstitions that supposedly get you off on the right foot for the coming year:

• Making noise, setting off firecrackers, and general raucous merry-making scares off the “evil spirits” that are setting their sights on doing you wrong in the New Year.
• Kissing your loved one at midnight ensures a year full of love and happiness.
• Washing clothes on New Year’s Day is bad luck, so steer clear of the laundry room for the day.
• Opening your doors and windows at midnight ushers the old year out and allows the New Year to enter.

Some traditions run along the same theme: Whatever you do on New Year’s Day extends throughout the year, so:

• Don’t cry, or you’ll spend the year crying.
• Accomplish good works, and your year will be filled with good work.
• Don’t break anything, or destruction and bad luck will fill your year.

I personally see the New Year as a fresh start, like a blank sheet of paper ready for a beautiful drawing or an engaging story. I like to start new things on New Year’s Day. I might try a new recipe, begin a new book, or try my hand at a craft I haven’t successfully completed before.

Whatever your New Year’s traditions, I wish you all a happy and prosperous New Year.

Be always at war with your vices, at peace with your neighbors, and let each New Year find you a better man.

Benjamin Franklin