Southern Weddings

Happy New Year, y’all! I hope you’re ready for 2013, and welcomed it with open arms (and some black-eyed peas!).

If you’re looking for a fun and festive meal for your home today, we’ve got one for you! Hoppin’ John is a traditional Southern delicacy consisting of black-eyed peas and rice, with chopped onion and sliced bacon, and seasoned with a bit of salt.

Eating Hoppin’ John on New Year’s Day is thought to bring a prosperous year filled with luck. The peas are symbolic of pennies or coins, and fun fact: a coin is sometimes added to the pot or left under the dinner bowls when serving! Want added luck? Serve the beans as leftovers tomorrow as “Skippin’ Jenny” to further demonstrate your frugality and bring an even better chance of prosperity in the New Year!

Photo and recipe from The Pioneer Woman

Wondering where this tradition comes from? During the late Middle Ages, it was traditional in parts of France and Spain to eat beans on New Year’s Day for good luck. When settlers arrived in the United States, this European custom combined with an African food staple to create what we think of now as a uniquely Southern tradition!

What’s your New Year’s tradition? Will you be eating any black-eyed peas or Hoppin’ John?

Written with love by Marissa