Traditional Superstitions

Image credit: WikiCommons & Weird Tales magazine, 1941

My mother's traditional Christmas Day breakfast was the subject of a recent article on this blog and today we have another.

On New Year's Day, our traditional mid-day meal includes (but is not limited to) black-eyed peas and cabbage.  A favorite bread to accompany those vegetables is cornbread. 

Unlike Mom's Christmas breakfast (which also featured cornbread), today's lunch is laden with a heaping helping of superstition.

Eating the black-eyed peas reportedly brings good luck for the new year and cabbage(being green in color) brings the promise of money.  

Part of the tradition/superstition was the requirement to partake of these culinary delights at the stroke of noon. There was never an explanation of that aspect of the feast.

While the relative evaluations of events that occur throughout the year are subjective for the diners, we typically tend to credit the first lunch-time meal of the year for the good things that happen as well as the riches of unexpected financial bonuses.

Conversely, events perceived as "bad luck" or financial reversals, prompt the admonition that, "You didn't eat enough black-eyed peas or cabbage when you had the chance, back on Jan. 1."

If you participate in some tradition that will supposedly affect your new year, here's hoping that you get the expected (and preferred) results.

At 11:59 A.M. every New Year's Day, my wife and I wish each other a happy new year and add an enthusiastic, "Bon appetit!"

Christmas Morning Breakfast

It was her own personal tradition.

My mother had a special breakfast that she enjoyed once a year.

Most years, she enjoyed it alone.

Sometimes my father or sister or I would stop by and she would offer us a bite or two.

She was happy to share her tradition.

Now, it’s a great memory.

Mom’s in her nineties and doesn’t cook much anymore, but her culinary skills of days gone by were legendary in our family and community.

On Christmas Day in the morning, while some slept late, some read the paper and others enjoyed the fruits of Santa’s labor, my mother was in the kitchen. 

She was at the stove and the aroma filled the house.

Homemade cornbread produced a unique stimulation to the olfactory nerves.

While the cornbread was still hot, she was melting cheese on a griddle.

Mom’s Christmas breakfast was melted cheese on freshly baked corn bread.

It always got Christmas off to a good start.

Image credit: Wikicommons

Maybe I’ll have some this morning.    

Bob Dylan's Lyrics

It took me years to figure out some of Dylan's lyrics. The actual words I mean. Sometimes he's hard to understand! Finally, the internet came along and was of great assistance. Now there's a book out, two actually, that deal with where the lyrics came from and some inkling as to what they might mean and their significance.

Here's the link to my review of Still On The Road, by Clinton Heylin.

Last year, I reviewed Dylan's Christmas album and now I'm looking for it because it's about time to start listening to Christmas music again. Sure got here fast!