Food Ritual
Optional prompt for the "Friday Writings Week # 205" is " . . . we’ll invite you to write about “food as ritual.” "
Here goes
[click on picture for bigger size view]
New Years Day
New Years Day in the South means black eyed peas and cabbage. The peas are for wealth, the cabbage for health, during the next year and the future. And of course good Southern food is cushioned by made-from-scratch cornbread. The ham will be from Thanksgiving day leftovers.
We don't believe in influencing luck by what we eat, but it is a Southern tradition we have followed for the 52 years we have been married. She is a Louisiana lady still.
Southern people eat black-eyed peas, most Northerners don't. When General Sherman went through the South burning everything, including the food supply, he didn't mess with the black-eyed peas. He thought they were food for the cattle, and his troops had already killed or eaten the cattle.
So, the people who survived boiled those beans and ate them. It was like they were rich, they had a lot of food. Only thing, it was all in the granary formerly food for the cattle.
I have no idea why they eat the cabbage, I'm sure it too was at some time they were lucky in health and had been eating cabbage.
For supper that night we would share this frozen Runza. It may be the of last Runza's we brought back from Nebraska in early last December.
So Runza for Nebraskans and black eyed peas are because I married a Southern lady of course I like them too.
Note: Please remember that my "jim's little Christmas Tree Farm" blog is open now. It is featuring Christmas trees that I run across this season. Find them here,
https://jimmiehov7.blogspot.com/?m=1
posted by Jim @ 11/27/2025 11:10:00 AM
8 comments
8 Comments:
A lovely amble around your dinner table - Jae
Oh never heard of black peas nor cornbread Looks like a proper meal and when it brings health and wealth Off you go Thar runza looks good and I love sauerkraut Something my mum made a lot
This was very interesting, especially to someone from a different country. My Dutch-born second husband (father of my kids whom I was with for 27 years) introduced me to sauerkraut; I used to love it. Cabbage is cheap, isn't it? Maybe that was why.
Jim, that plate of food looks delicious.
The krautburger and runza both sound DELISH!!! I loved the back story of the black eyed peas. This may be one of my favorite posts of yours! (I also giggled at the image above - all that amazing food.. and then the coke can! ha
Such a great story about the black eyed peas and General Sherman. Love that you know the history behind the meals.
A very interesting post. While I may not fully understand the cultural nuances as an outsider, it was still good to learn about them. History across the world shows that stories of invaders are invariably marked by cruelty — and yet, in this case, it unexpectedly set a food trend.
A very cosy update on conventions. Enjoyed
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