Post by NJtoTX on Dec 29, 2020 13:58:58 GMT
Totally a Texas thang.
Most Southerners will tell you that this culinary custom dates back to the Civil War. Black-eyed peas were considered animal food. The peas were not deemed worthy of serving to General Sherman's Union troops. When Union soldiers raided the Confederates' food supplies, legend says they took everything except the peas and salted pork. The Confederates considered themselves lucky to be left with those meager supplies, and survived the winter. Peas then became symbolic of luck.
Black-eyed peas were also given to enslaved people, as were most other traditional southern New Year's foods and evolved through the years to be considered "soul food." One variation of the superstition says that black-eyed peas were all the enslaved people in the South had to celebrate with on the first day of January 1863. What were they celebrating? That was the day when the Emancipation Proclamation went into effect. From then on, black-eyed peas were always eaten on the first day of January.
Black-eyed peas were also given to enslaved people, as were most other traditional southern New Year's foods and evolved through the years to be considered "soul food." One variation of the superstition says that black-eyed peas were all the enslaved people in the South had to celebrate with on the first day of January 1863. What were they celebrating? That was the day when the Emancipation Proclamation went into effect. From then on, black-eyed peas were always eaten on the first day of January.
But - It turns out my brethren have it a lot longer, though on Rosh Hashanah.
Eating black-eyed peas on New Year's Day 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 (which occurs in the fall).