Starting Out With Good Luck In The New Year

COLUMBUS, Miss.(WCBI)—Since January 1st, 2016 many people have been
waiting with baited breath for the next new year. For some that means a chance to start over and walk into the next year with their best foot forward

“They are buying it faster than we can put it out,”said Food Giant Grocery Bagger Johnny Walls.

The greens, peas and corn bread was flying off the shelves today as people rushed to get the luckiest food they could find.

Johnny Walls bags groceries for the Food Giant. He says their main goal this time of year is to assist the customers with their new year lucky food purchases.

“It’s a very busy time of year you know new years. People want to come in and get all the food. We have everything on sale based off what people are going to do. We’ve got sales on peas and greens right now. So people are trying to come in and get everything we’ve got and start cooking,” said Walls.

Teakilasha White says the Lucky New year feast tradition has been apart of her family for many years.

“We’ll when I was growing up my grand parents raised me and my grand mother always told us that the black eyed peas and the collard greens are good luck for the next year,”said White.

According to Serious Eats, some “lucky new years food” traditions date back to 1733.

Usually good luck food consist of black eyed peas and greens for money, corn bread for good health and that’s just to name a few.

Walls says though their is no actual proof this works the food marks the start of something new.

“I think mentally it’s like a preparation, like a new slate. you know um new year new me that sort of thing. The resolutions come about well I’m going to do this all year. It’s mentally preparing for new you. New start. Fresh year,” said Walls.

White says you can eat all the greens and peas you want but the thing that will help you most in the new year is make sure you keep god ahead of your life and that will make everything better.

For many families in this area they will eat their good luck food and head to night watch church services to ring in the new year.