Black Eyed Peas & Greens?

[MawMaw]

Is it just a southern tradition, or did anyone else have black eyed peas and some sort of greens today for a meal? :)

[shazeep]

It isn't just southern; i think a pea-type bean--and i guess a side of greens, too? is a tradition in many parts of the world.

[Abiding Now]

Went to Cracker Barrell today and the waiter brought a COMPLIMENTARY dish of blackeyed peas. They were good.

[MawMaw]

The peas really are good! :nod
And I love greens of any kind...cabbage,
turnip, collards, so tasty and good for you!

[KeptByTheWord]

My in-laws had black-eyed peas today, and they are in the south. I cooked rice and pinto beans for supper, and drank green tea... does that count? ;)

[commonsense]

I consider it a southern ritual. I'm a total Yankee :heeheehee

But truthfully have never seen it in da north..............

[MawMaw]

Some interesting lore about the tradition.....

http://americanfood.about.com/od/resourcesadditionalinfo/a/New-Years-Day-Tradition-Black-Eyed-Peas.htm

.........Eating black-eyed peas on New Year’s has been considered good luck for at least 1,500 years. According to a portion of the Talmud written around 500 A.D., it was Jewish custom at the time to eat black-eyed peas in celebration of Rosh Hashanah, the Jewish New Year. It’s possible that the tradition arrived in America with Sephardic Jews, who first arrived in Georgia in the 1730s. Common folklore tells that the tradition spread after the Civil War. The Northern Army considered the black-eyed peas to be suitable only for animals, so they didn’t carry away or destroy the crops.

[Jermyn Davidson]

Black-eyed peas and fish was what I knew about growing up.

If it was a southern thing, it was something my family adopted-- and my family doesn't have southern connections.

[shazeep]

there's also some meaning in it being a pea (humble food), and it having an 'eye,' and i think yur s'posed to put greens with it, those meaning (the kind of intuitive) something else. i think there's maybe even a certain way or manner or whatever of the meal involved...

[Miss Scarlett]

We normally have black eyed peas, boiled cabbage and cornbread, but this year I order a cheese pizza, and for my husband an all meat. I didn't cook this year,

[Miss Scarlett]

Black-eyed peas and fish was what I knew about growing up.

If it was a southern thing, it was something my family adopted-- and my family doesn't have southern connections.

There's a family in my community who have fish with their meal, and also add a quarter to their bowl of peas. Whoever gets the quarter, will have luck in the new year. I had never heard of the fish and quarter until I met them.

[MawMaw]

We normally have black eyed peas, boiled cabbage and cornbread, but this year I order a cheese pizza, and for my husband an all meat. I didn't cook this year,

WHOA!!! You really did break outta the norm!!! LOL!! :heeheehee

[T.J.]

Was born in the south, transplanted to NW Indiana at age of 6 for 12 years. Have done the New Years thing both places. Black-eyed peas (w/ hog jowl) & greens must be a southern thing. Unless you are southern, living north! The 12 years I lived in Indiana, my family was among the few we knew who did the peas/greens thing. A lot of the New Year customs that went on around us seemed more geared to whatever the ethnic make-up of the family. We lived in a cultural "melting-pot." As for me & my family...Black-eyed peas w/ hock, greens, left-over ham & chicken, cracklin' cornbread & apple turnovers was for New Year's (late lunch/early supper).

[MawMaw]

Was born in the south, transplanted to NW Indiana at age of 6 for 12 years. Have done the New Years thing both places. Black-eyed peas (w/ hog jowl) & greens must be a southern thing. Unless you are southern, living north! The 12 years I lived in Indiana, my family was among the few we knew who did the peas/greens thing. A lot of the New Year customs that went on around us seemed more geared to whatever the ethnic make-up of the family. We lived in a cultural "melting-pot." As for me & my family...Black-eyed peas w/ hock, greens, left-over ham & chicken, cracklin' cornbread & apple turnovers was for New Year's (late lunch/early supper).

That is some good stuff right there!!! It has
been a long time since I had a good pone of fresh
cracklin cornbread!!

[commonsense]

I had heard of the practice.....I agree with previous poster....different ethnic groups have different New Years meals.

Apparently Finnish and Polish heritages do not have such traditions :bigbaby