Southern Lore – Why We Eat Black Eyed Peas on New Years Day

Why do Southerners Eat Black Eyed Peas on New Year’s Day?

The story of the Southern tradition of eating black-eyed peas as the first meal on New Year’s Day is generally believed to date back to the winter of 1864 – 1865.  When Union General William T. Sherman led his invading troops on their destructive march through Georgia, the fields of black-eyed peas were largely left untouched because they were deemed fit only for animals. The Union troops took everything, plundered the land, and left what they could not take, burning or in shambles. But two things did remain, the lowly peas and good Ol’ Southern salted pork.

As a result, the humble yet nourishing black-eyed peas saved surviving Southerners – mainly women, children, elderly and the disabled veterans of the Confederate army – from mass starvation and were thereafter regarded as a symbol of good luck.  According to tradition and folklore, the peas are served with several other dishes that symbolically represent good fortune, health, wealth, and prosperity in the coming year. Some folks still traditionally cook the black-eyed peas with a silver dime in the pot as a symbol of good fortune.

So reflect on this when you sit down at your family table and enjoy this humble, uniquely Southern dish on New Year’s Day. Be thankful for what this year did give you, and look forward to what is to come in 2024!