New Year's Day Traditions
Throughout the mountains New Year’s Day has been filled with tradition and superstition. But is it superstition or is there some truth to be found in these traditions, especially when it comes to the food?
New Year’s Day marks a moment of renewal. Let go of the past and look forward to the year ahead. And what do you want in the year ahead? Most will toast to prosperity, wealth, and good health. Some will also answer good luck.
Toast to prosperity, wealth, and good health.
It’s thought that having a redhead be the first to cross your threshold on New Year’s Day brings bad luck, which begs the question what about the luck of the Irish and all? Also known as “first footers”, it’s best to have someone of dark hair for good luck, but a blonde brings no luck at all.
If you sweep on New Year’s Day, you’ll likely sweep all your good luck right out the door, so best get all that cleaning done to finish the old year!
When it comes to food, here are some ways to ensure for wealth, health, and good fortune.
Anything gold or green brings wealth in the new year, so. yellow cornmeal makes the perfect pan of cornbread to go with a pot of collard greens.
Black eyed peas are thought to get you through the lean times too, which can be seen as lucky or prosperous. It’s been said that during the Civil War, the only thing left behind after the fighting were black eyed peas, which got many through a long winter. Some will go so far as to put a penny in the pot and whoever gets the penny in their bowl will be the most prosperous in the new year.
Any meat of an animal that moves forward is good, such as pork because pigs always look forward as they root and can’t look back. A nice pot of pork ribs and kraut make the perfect meal for anyone wanting to move forward and earn money in the new year. Whereas chickens scratch backwards as they search for food, so that would mean you could be scratching for every little bit in the new year.
For health, well anything green is good for your health, right? And if it means more money, well that’s just icing on the cake. Speaking of cake, anything ring shaped will bring your new year full circle, so try a slice of our Signature Pound Cake for breakfast on New Year’s Day.
Whatever you choose to do, know that we’ve made it through another year, and a new year is ripe with possibilities.