Thursday morning residents of Pearl River County hit the grocery stores to prepare for their traditional New Year’s Day meal.
Traditionally, residents in the South cook black-eyed peas and some sort of green, like cabbage. But there are several variations of a New Year’s Day dish, which is said to bring luck and wealth in the coming year.
County resident Willie McDaniel was at Claiborne Hill Thursday morning shopping for the necessary ingredients to complete his family’s traditional meal of white beans, cabbage and corn bread. He said in his more than 70 years he has always eaten the traditional meal because it is said to bring good luck.
Other lore states that such a meal is also supposed to bring money in the New Year, according to about.com.
“There must not be anything to that because I don’t have any money,” McDaniel said jovially.
But Thursday he said his family was going to put a spin on the meal by adding pork chops. After lunch McDaniel said his plan the rest of the holiday was to relax with his friends and family.
County resident Mike Welch said he and his family will enjoy the traditional meal of cabbage and black-eyed peas. He said it’s a family tradition that brings wealth and luck, which seems to be working so far.
Vicki Bennett was cooking for herself on New Year’s Day, so she chose to cook a roast, along with another item that caught her eye while she shopped at the locally owned grocery store.
She said traditionally her family would cook tamales on New Year’s Day. But since making the tasty dish is so much trouble, she decided to go with the roast.
According to About.com, black-eyed peas represent coins while any type of green represents cash. Cornbread also has a monetary representation, gold. Other variations of the lore state that the legumes represent good luck.