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Thursday, December 29, 2016

NEW YEAR’S TRADITIONS ON THE EASTERN SHORE

As 2016 comes to an end, the majority of us are now planning our New Year’s Eve festivities and New Year’s Day feasts. Growing up in Pennsylvania, it was considered all but a federal offense to not eat pork and sauerkraut on New Year’s Day. It wasn’t until I moved to the Eastern Shore that I heard about the black-eyed pea tradition. This all begs the question, “why do I have to eat something special on New Year’s Day?” Curiosity got the best of me and, hence, this article was born.

Pork and Sauerkraut

Let’s start with the Pennsylvania Dutch. We have the Pennsylvania Dutch to thank for this New Year’s Day tradition of pork and sauerkraut. This tradition was brought to central Pennsylvania by German settlers. This is all well and good but it still doesn’t answer the question of “why?” According to Food Historian, William Woys Weaver, the superstition is that pigs “root forward” whereas chickens and turkeys scratch backwards. This “rooting forward” is a sign of moving forward and progress. The Pennsylvania Dutch are also known to say you’re in for a “sweet year” if you eat sauerkraut on New Year’s Day.


Black-Eyed Peas

Then, I moved to the Eastern Shore and everyone mentioned eating black-eyed peas on New Year’s Day. Having never heard of this tradition, I was tempted to learn more about the origin of this superstition. One such tale dates back to the Civil War. During the war, General Sherman’s Union troops decided the peas were beneath them and during a raid on the Confederates’ food supplies, they took everything they had aside from their black-eyed peas and some salted pork. The Confederates were thankful to have been left with anything and, even with scarce supplies, they miraculously survived the winter. This event lead people to associate black-eyed peas with good luck.

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6 comments:

  1. Being from bmore..we banged pots and pans at midnight and yelled happy new year...did this in crisfield with my kids and some old bag yelled shut up..made me sad.

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    Replies
    1. Keep bangin Bmore and HAPPY NEW YEAR!! We brought it to Bridgeville, our neighbors love it.

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  2. I'm from the south, Tennessee, We always had black eyed peas ( they represent prosperity) collard or turnip greens ( represent money) seasoned with pork, ham or bacon ( represents forward motion) pigs root moving forward and cornbread which represents gold. Heard it every year from my Mom growing up. It didn't help us prosper, we were dirt poor.

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  3. The guns fire out my way on new years eve at midnight...we eat ham, cabbage, potatoes, and black eye peas for dinner.

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  4. Shellfish heaven for Dec 31st:
    - fresh lobster tails
    - fresh shrimps
    - crabcakes (made with bay crabmeat of course)
    - homemade fries (best when fried in a cast iron skillet)
    - homemade apple pie with ice cream (oh my)

    Recovery Jan 1st and 2nd!

    ReplyDelete

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