New Year’s Day Traditions

Do you ever wonder how some traditions get started? How they get, almost, set in stone? Perhaps, in the South anyway, one of the most popular New Year’s Day traditions is to eat black-eyed peas.  I’ve often wondered how that got started.  Really, how any tradition gets started.  How we came to sing Auld Lang Syne.  Traditions are one of the most intriguing things to me.  I love learning why folks do particular things, at particular times.

Resolutions

It’s believed that the New Year’s Day tradition of having a New Year’s resolution came to be, because people wanted to start the new year without debt, for luck in the new year.  It has broadened over the years and has become a chance to change “anything” you dislike about yourself.

 

Black Eyed Peas

Why do southerners eat black-eyed peas on New Year Day? The New Year’s Day traditions include eating black-eyed peas. They are thought, to bring good luck.  Black eyed peas, or cowpea, as many Southerners call them, used to ONLY be fed to cattle.  During the Civil war, the battle of Vicksburg, that whole town was held up.  Starving to death, they ate the cows’ feed.  But even before this….the black-eyed pea has been a symbol of good luck.  This dates back to the days of the Pharaoh.  There are many ways Southerners eat their black-eyed peas, even just eating them plain, is accepted.  Recipes vary from Hoppin’ John to Texas Black-eyed caviar Dip

 

Drinking Champagne

Another New Year’s Day tradition, is to ring in the new year with a toast of champagne. According to the History Channel if you drink enough spiced wine or champagne to get the courage to kiss someone at midnight, You will either strengthen your relationship with that person, or will not be lonely throughout the year.  Why is it called a “toast”.  During the time of the Romans and the Greeks, the wine was some what bitter.  To calm the bitter a piece of burned bread, or toast, was floated in the wine to absorb the acids.  The last person to drink the wine at the toast.  But the act of drinking wine, together, became known as “toasting”.

 

Singing Auld Lang Syne

This song dates back to before the 1700’s sang first by the Scottish.  Meaning “The Good ole days”.  This song is sang at the stroke of midnight by almost everyone in the world who speaks English.

 

The words to Auld Lang Syne

Should auld acquaintance be forgot,
And never brought to mind?
Should auld acquaintance be forgot,
And auld lang syne?

For auld lang syne, my dear,
For auld lang syne,
We’ll tak a cup of kindness yet,
For auld lang syne!

And there’s a hand my trusty fiere,
And gie’s a hand o thine,
And we’ll tak a right guid-willie waught,
For auld lang syne

For auld lang syne, my dear,
For auld lang syne,
We’ll tak a cup of kindness yet,
For auld lang syne!

Texas Black-eyed Caviar Dip

• 3 cans drained black eye peas with chopped jalapeno peppers
• 1 purple onion, chopped
• 3 tomatoes, chopped
• 3 cloves garlic, chopped
• 2 avocados, chopped
• 2 jalapeno peppers, chopped
• 1 green bell pepper, chopped
• 1/2 bunch of cilantro, chopped
• Zesty Italian Salad Dressing

After you chop all this up, add enough Zesty Italian dressing to get the consistency that you want for a dip. Add salt and pepper and refrigerate overnight. (courtesy: About)

Do you stay up for the new year? What traditions do you celebrate on New Year’s Day?  Do you make New Year’s Day resolutions? Do you keep them?

Happy New Year!!

He will wipe away every tear from their eyes, and death shall be no more, neither shall there be mourning, nor crying, nor pain anymore, for the former things have passed away. Revelation 21:4

Love Y’all!!