What you should eat on New Year's Day

What’s on the menu for New Year’s Day? Well, it all depends on where you live. Some traditional New Year’s foods are considered good luck and this is why you might want them on your plate as you celebrate the arrival of 2020.

  • Black-eyed peas -There are a few different reasons this bean is linked to good luck on January 1st, with one going back to the Civil War when Union soldiers raided the Confederate Army’s food supply, only leaving black-eyed peas behind (because they considered it ‘trash food’)
  • Cabbage- Sauerkraut or some other form of cabbage is often served with the pork and this tradition comes from Germany and Eastern Europe and comes down to logistics because of the fall harvest and a six-to-eight-week fermentation process making it ready this time of year. The strands of sauerkraut also symbolize a long life to some, while cabbage can symbolize money.
  • Greens- Not only do they go great with black-eyed peas, greens are also thought to be lucky because the green represents money and prosperity.
  • Pork- Some suggest eating pork on New Year’s Day brings good luck because pigs bring their snouts to the ground and move forward, the same direction you want to go in the New Year. Another reason is that pigs are traditionally slaughtered in late fall, so pork was an ideal choice for a New Year’s Day dinner.

(Check out more traditional New Year’s Day foodshere.)

I usually throw a ham bone in the slow cooker with black-eyed peas that I've soaked overnight but if you'd like a quicker way to do things, check out the recipe below...


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