So today is New Year's Day. There are a few Southern and family traditions that go along with this day. This year, I broke a few and bent a few others.
I don't believe in luck. Never have. I just like traditions. Keeping them and passing them on is, to me, part of passing on a family's history. It kind of keeps those who have passed on still with us.
I thank my Granny for many traditions, but especially for those on New Year's Day. That lady was brilliant. The two things she never did on New Year's Day were sweep and wash clothes. One was supposed to cause a loved one to die and the other was to cause you to lose your money. I could never keep them straight, but I thought she was a genius for getting out of housework for at least one day a year.
Of course, the other traditions involve food. We are supposed to have black-eyed peas and greens for good luck. The peas represent coins and the greens represent paper money you will recieve in the year to come. I always make blackeyes and I usually put ham hocks in them for flavor. We also usually have pork roast. I don't eat greens except for cabbage, so we always have cabbage.
Except for today.
We had the black-eyed peas, but no cabbage. We had cabbage's anemic cousin, cauliflower. I am not sure what kind of luck that is supposed to bring us. I didn't buy ham hocks or a pork roast, so we ate the pork Lil Smokies left over from last night's family New Year's junk food dinner.
Plus, I didn't techinically sweep; I vacuumed. We took down the tree and I couldn't go a whole day without cleaning up the stray needles. And (gasp!) I am washing a load of clothes at this very moment. You have no idea what this means. There are Southern women tossing and turning in their graves.
What on Earth have I done?!
It's a good thing I ate two huge servings of peas.
Have a Happy New Year, Y'all!
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7 comments:
Well, I'm doomed as well. I vacuumed, have done 5 loads of laundry and ate none of the above food items. Here's to a fabulous 2008! :)
Lucky for me I didn't sweep or wash clothes today. Not because I'm superstitious, but because I'm lazy.
Happy New Year!
For Hungarians, we ate lentils on New Years Day for prosperity. We never did get rich while I was growing up.
Happy New Year to you!
I'm doomed for sure... I don't think I've ever done as much laundry as I did yesterday AND we didn't have a SINGLE black-eyed pea at our table (I love me some black-eyed peas too!)
Blessings,
Karla
That second serving of black-eyed peas must have been for me, 'cause I wouldn't touch those little buggers for nuthin'. I just know somebody's going to want to make me turn in my Southerner card for admitting that, but I'll have to find it first. ;)
I'm not superstitious either, but we had black eyed peas, greens, and hog jowl. My granny said you had to have the jowl to make everything else taste just right.
And I didn't do any house work either. That's my rule for all of the holidays.
I actually forgot all about the black-eyed peas this year. My grandmother thought it was bad luck not to sit down if you left someone's house and then had to go back because you forgot something. I mean it was bad luck if you went back but didn't sit down. Does this make any sense? I think it's time to go to bed. :-)
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