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The Kitchen Table

New Year's Day traditions?

18 years ago

I think we discuss this every year, but it's always fun to hear what everyone does.

We always eat black eyed peas and greens on the 1st. I hate them both, but they are suppose to make the New Year prosperous and lucky. I never do any laundry on the 1st. My SIL always told me it was bad luck.

So...what do you do/don't do on the 1st?

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Comments (26)

Mystical Manns
18 years ago
Hoppin' Jack for us too ... black eyed peas and cornbread. Yum!

There's nothing we consider off-limits. Hmmmm ... maybe I should consider adding the "no laundry" superstition.
justlinda
18 years ago
My grandmother always said that the state of the bathroom on New Years Day was an indication of how clean (or dirty) your whole house was going to be in the new year.

So New Year's Eve Day (i.e. December 31) is spent making sure the bathroom's absolutely spotless.
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Kathsgrdn
18 years ago
My mom always made whole, dungenous crab on New Years day. We've only had it a couple times, kids weren't thrilled with it because their used to just eating crab legs in restaurants so they aren't used to all the work.
monica_pa Grieves
18 years ago
Pork and sauerkraut with mashed potatoes. All my life...It's supposed to bring good luck., And I happen to love it.
chubby_rat
18 years ago
Pork and sauerkraut with mashed potatoes .....and hotdogs and applesauce on the side...oh and can't forget the dumplings!
ronm80
18 years ago
Black eye peas & ham for good luck in the coming year!
cheryl_ok
18 years ago
Never had traditions to speak of growing up, however living in the south for years, I do realize the importance of black-eyed peas...

You can bet my bathroom will NOW be spotless also! LOL
azzalea
18 years ago
No food traditions.

Main New Year's Day tradition around here is getting up and spending the day in your pj's watching the Mummer's Day Parade for 12 hours, more or less
glenda_al
18 years ago
Always have my family, but past year and this, having DIL's parents as well.
Start off with mimosa's, but this year having apple caramel cocktail in champagne glasses, and kids will have sparkling cider, to toast in the New Year!
Pork roast, hopping john, turnip greens, onion supper bread (cornbread), and DIL and her mother are bringing other eats!
rosebudms
18 years ago
Blackeyed peas, cornbread, pork of some kind, kraut, mashed potatoes, whatever else sounds good. We like the kraut instead of turnip greens, but like those too.

And somewhere along the line, in the next few days, a supper meal of hot cornbread crumbled into a glass and covered with cold sweet milk, eaten with a spoon. Such a delicious thing to eat when all the rich foods have been done with.
grammahony
18 years ago
Since it wasn't answered before when I asked, what is 'hopping john?"
Leslie
glenda_al
18 years ago
My rendition of hopping john

Hopping John

1 large onion chopped
2 large garlic cloves
2 16 oz can drained black-eyed peas
2 cups chick broth
1 cup uncooked reg rice
1 tsp salt
2 Tbl butter

Saute onion and garlic in butter until tender.
Add rest of ingredients - ***I don't add the black eye peas, until rice is cooked, cause I use canned, but heat them before adding** cook 20 minutes until liquid is absorbed and rice is tender
I also add a small can minced green chile's NOW

And of course serve with pork and turnip greens for New Years.
patti43
18 years ago
I read today that an Irish tradition (or superstition) is to hold a silver coin in your hand at midnight to insure prosperity for the coming year. So I'm going to do that, clean my bathroom and not do any laundry. Eat pork, greens, Glenda's hoppin' John and sweet potato pie (compliments of Mrs. Smith). You can't be too careful, 'ya know?
Lindsey_CA
18 years ago
Our NY's day tradition seems to be sleeping in and missing the Rose Parade, even though the night before we always swear we're going to get up early and watch it...
mtnwomanbc
18 years ago
No food traditions here, except in DH's family, where if we visit on New Year's Day, DMIL always has Dungeness crab legs, Jambalaya, and red rice and beans (the ILs originated from New Orleans back in the '50s).

Growing up, the tradition in my family was watching or attending the Pasadena Rose Parade, but I'm a NorCal gal now.

When first dating (we met just a couple of weeks before New Year's), destined-to-be-DH made a HUGE impression on me by not being interested in the multitudinous New Year's bowl games on TV (believe me, this was a MAJOR turn-on for me). So, we'd go for a long walk or hike, which we still do, now with knees permitting (ouch).

BTW: he has only turned the TV on to see the games on if nothing else was going on after our walk (wink, wink).
Happy_Go_Lucky_Gayle
18 years ago
As a true Southerner gotta have black-eyed pies and cabbage no matter what else is being served.

Gayle
grammahony
18 years ago
Thanks Glenda. I'll have to give those a try. DD brought me a couple tamales from her dads. His wife made them. LOL of course they don't know she gave me a couple. DD knows I love them. I sure miss his mom's tamales.
Leslie
gadgets
18 years ago
Kraut, pork, and mashed potatoes. Had to laugh when I read Monica_pa and Chubbyrat do the same. I live in eastern Ohio. Monica in Pa, and CR used to live in Pa.......so it must be a regional thing.

Shirley
maryanntx
Original Author
18 years ago
I guess this means that I should be cleaning the bathroom instead of playing on the computer?

I plan to try Glenda's recipe for Hoppin' John too. Maybe the black eyed peas won't taste so bad when mixed with rice and hot peppers!
summer_tx
18 years ago
You can also add a can of RoTel, that will kick it up a notch. :)

Our tradition is pretty much like most southerners. Got to have the black eyed peas in something. LOL Hold your nose and go for it Mary Ann. LOL
brenda_in_tx
18 years ago
Make Black-eyed Pea Chowder and stay in my jammies all day. Here's my recipe for the Black-eyed Pea Chowder -

Black-eyed Pea Chowder

1 c. chopped celery
1 c. chopped onion
1 c. chopped bell pepper
2 large cans black-eyes
1 can beef consommÃ©
2 cans stewed tomatoes
1 lb. bacon, fried and crumbled

SautÃ© first three ingredients in bacon drippings. Mix all ingredients and heat through. This recipe is best if you prepare it the night before and let it sit in the refrigerator before heating. Excellent with cornbread!
jannie
18 years ago
We always have pork or ham for dinner on New Years Day. And a champagne toast at midnight New Years Eve.
bestlawn
18 years ago
No matter where we are, we all connect with mom at midnight to pray. If I'm out, I call in and everybody calls somebody else on 3-way so we're all on the phone.
susanjf_gw
18 years ago
in ca it started with the rose parade...then catching a cab to the rosebowl (down below the parade in a "arroyo") where we'd pre-parked the car. after driving home and quick dinner and bed...my dad always had to work the next day and i had school...oh and you always had to watch where the parade makes the turn onto colorado blvd, to see the most of the floats.

now, it's about the same thing, only lunch and tv rose parade/football game(s) since we're in mi now...
gneegirl
18 years ago
We always do the traditional black-eyed peas with ham hocks, greens, ribs and cornbread. I guess I too should start cleaning that bathroom! They say that you will be with the person you are with on New Years, for the year. Guess I need to work on that one too!! LOL.

Happy New Year all!!

gng
lulie___wayne
18 years ago
Always the ham, black-eyed peas, cabbage casserole, and cornbread. Just got to do it!
Hopefully, this year it will bring us more luck, health and prosperity than it did last year. lol
Lu

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