By Kara Kimbrough
Disclaimer: I don’t believe in luck. You'll never hear me say that I’ve been “lucky” when something good comes my way. I’ll use the word “fortunate,” but I'll steer clear of the “L word.” However, like any good Southerner, sitting down to a traditional plate of cabbage, black-eyed peas, pork and cornbread on New Year’s Day is a can't-miss ritual. It’s not because I fear a year of bad luck, but for two much more important reasons.
It’s a fun tradition to maintain along with millions of other Southerners.
Most important, if cooked the right way, these dishes are really, really good.
Southerners often get a bad rap for clinging to centuries-old traditions, but a little research proved we’re not alone. Other foods that show up around the first day of the New Year in other parts of the U.S. and world include:
Pork and sauerkraut: Germans and Eastern Europeans annually serve sauerkraut on the first day of the New Year with their “lucky pork.” Like Southerners, they believe cabbage resembles money and increases in value when cooked.
Lentils: Due to their coin-like appearance, Italians prepare a meal of pork sausage and lentils on the first day of the year to secure prosperity in the coming 365 days.
Lettuce and noodles: Similar to our cabbage, the Chinese wrap their food in the leafy green vegetables during the Chinese New Year and for good reason. Lettuce in their native tongue means "rising fortune." Likewise, long noodles are common fare during Chinese New Year. Also served in Japan on Jan. 1, the uncut pasta symbolizes a long life.
When our global neighbors research America’s New Year’s Day food traditions, they’ll inevitably read about Hoppin’ John. Southerners eat this dish containing a combination of two supposedly “luck” ingredients, pork and black-eyed peas.
Pork is considered lucky because of a pig's tendency to root forward, paving the way for wealth and prosperity in the coming year.
And to the starving residents of Civil War-era Vicksburg, where the tradition of eating black-eyed peas on New Year’s Day began, lowly field peas were their saving grace when Union troops bombed the town and torched the crops for good measure. The Yankees left the peas because they considered them useless. The joke was on them, as the leftover peas kept residents alive and well-fed until conditions improved.
Out of that terrible time during the Civil War, a powerful lesson or two evolved that still holds true today: black-eyed peas, when cooked properly and served with a side of cornbread, are really delicious. And last, never count out Mississippians when it comes to creating a nourishing meal out of whatever we find on hand.
After you've enjoyed a delicious New Year's Day meal of one or a selection of these Southern traditional foods or just your own favorite dishes, I hope you go on to experience a healthy, prosperous and blessed 2025!
Fortunate 2025 Hoppin’ John
Two cups black-eyed peas, cooked
Two cups rice, cooked
Two tablespoons butter
Small onion, chopped
Small red or green bell pepper, chopped¼ teaspoon garlic powder
Salt and pepper to taste1 link of smoked sausage, cooked and sliced thin, optional
Melt butter in a large skillet over medium heat. Add onion, bell pepper, and garlic powder and cook for five minutes. Add cooked peas, rice and cooked sausage (if using) and cook an additional 10 to 15 minutes, stirring to thoroughly combine all ingredients.
Kara Kimbrough is a food and travel writer from Mississippi. Email her at kkprco@yahoo.com.
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