Do These Ozark New Year’s Traditions Really Bring Good Luck?

There are plenty of New Year’s traditions out there. Many have to do with superstitions, some deal with food as representation for financial success, others are based on setting a personal tone for the year. Do you do any of these? Do you have Ozark roots?

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At our home black eyed peas are a New Year's Day tradition. My wife grew up with this habit, the idea being that black-eyed peas represented good luck for the year. I’ve been sent out on New Year’s Eve to find a can (or any) black-eyed peas because we hadn’t gotten any leading up to the end of the year. There was no breaking the tradition, no questioning its validity, just a guy out driving around store to store looking for any can (or bag) of black-eyed peas. Please know that when you let it slide to that late hour, you are in a pinch, because this belief isn’t trifled with. Consider yourself already lucky if you can find any on New Year’s Eve. Get your black-eyed peas for New Years Day before your luck runs out.

More people than you realize fix black-eyed peas for New Year's Day

Likewise, cabbage is full of superstitious history when it comes to New Year's Day. Having boiled or steamed cabbage the first day of the year is thought to bring money luck for the year. Some will just eat it in a meal, others will cut off a bit of a leaf and slide it into their wallet (seriously) to take the money belief a step further. Some will use other greens in place of cabbage.

A cabbage leaf in the wallet is supposed to bring money luck for the year

These two items are often paired with rice and pork on New Year's Day. If you combine all of these, it’s like the money luck grand slam for the year (if you believe in such things). My wife’s family roots are from the south in general, not primarily the Ozarks. But, these New Year’s day food beliefs were put into practice there too. Did these originate in the Ozarks, or just make their way there? Either way the tradition stands in the 21^st century.