Video: New Year’s Day Lucky Foods

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COLUMBUS, MISS. (WCBI) – – Black-eyed peas and New Year’s Day go together like butter and bread. Eating the peas along with cabbage, pork, and cornbread is a tradition many do to bring luck and wealth for the new year. In the south, it’s a known thing to have the traditional “New Years Day” meal. For decades, families have set around tables filling their mouths with the soulful food, but many people might not know how this all started, says Helen’s Kitchen owner, Kabir Karriem.

“The black-eyed peas come from slavery, you know they use to feed the black-eyed peas to the livestock, but because black-eyed peas were a ration food, slaves ate them and made them a course of food, so that’s why we eat black-eyed peas today.”

Helen’s Kitchen in Columbus has been serving black-eyed peas for almost thirty years. They have to cook more today because they are the most requested food on the first day of the year.

“Normally we go through about four to six pounds of peas on an average anyway. Today we’re going to cook a little extra, so about eight to ten pounds of peas.”

Served to bring good luck and wealth if you eat cabbage with them, Helen’s has a special process and touch for their black-eyed peas that brings people from all over to come eat them.

“Well, if you want to cook them down and let the juices and everything simmer and get that pot liquor as we say on it, a couple of hours.”

It’s a tradition for locals to go by the restaurant, grab their lucky foods, and then hope for the best year yet. Local customer, Naksia Murray, looks forward to the traditional holiday meal each year.

“I was raised up that way, so I just continue with doing it and you know, I make sure I have me some for New Year’s.”

As the expression goes, eat poor today and eat rich the rest of the year. WCBI wishes you Happy New Year’s.

Categories: Local News

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