When I was a child, my mother, who was a second grade teacher, always took down the Christmas tree on New Year's Day because she had to return to work on Jan. 2nd. Also on New Year's Day, she cooked cabbage and said we eat cabbage on New Year's Day for good luck for the upcoming year.
When I moved to Chicago, friends taught me to eat herring on New Year's Day, and now that I am living in the south, I have learned yet another tradition for the holiday.
Some southerners eat black-eyed peas, collard greens and cornbread, saying that the peas represent pennies, the greens are for dollars, and the cornbread is for gold for the new year.
Other southern tables are loaded down with Hoppin' John (rice and black-eyed peas) and ham hocks.
I wondered about the cabbage that we used to eat and using the miracle of "Googling", I learned some interesting myths for New Year's.
Eating cabbage is a German practice while the Italians and Brazilians eat lentils---all hoping to become wealthy in the New Year. Herring is a Scandinavian and German custom and the Spaniards and Latin Americans eat 12 grapes at the stroke of midnight---one grape each time the clock strikes---in order to become healthy, wealthy and wise in the New Year!
Although I was in Mexico last year, I really don't know if they have a special superstition for New Year's Day food. If anyone knows a Mexican custom, please write a comment and let me know.
Many cultures eat some form of pork for the New Year's dinner. They say that since pigs root forward and never go backwards, that means good luck will come to you as you go forward into the new year. It seems a universal thought never to eat lobster on New Year's day because lobsters move backwards!!
Well, New Year's Day found my larders empty of black eyed peas, cabbage and herring! Oh, dear! What to do? What about my luck in 2009 and would I never get any money?!!? Searching through Mother Hubbard's cupboard, I found split peas which I made into a delicious soup and added cornbread (at least I will get some gold in 2009!).
Here is my New Year's meal, along with a bayberry candle which, as the poem goes:
A bayberry candle burned down to the socket,
Brings luck to the home and wealth to the pocket.
So perhaps I will be covered for luck and wealth in 2009, thanks to my cornbread and bayberry candle!
Hasta luego.
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