This informative post will be posted on Saturday along with my usual writing. You are invited to participate with the opening question.
Brain Teaser Question
Put these statements in the right order.
(A) A woman tries on a dress.
(B) A woman buys a hat.
(C) A man buys a dress.
(D) A woman returns a dress to a store.
(E) A man gives his wife a present.
(answer found at the end of this post)
Featured Facts
Once a month, a special post will be published with something related to the given month. With the start of a new year just around the corner, it seems appropriate to look at a New Year’s tradition of many Americans.
A traditional southern dish is prepared by many families. It is called “Hoppin’ John,” and is eaten in the southern United States on New Year’s Day. The dish dates back to the 1800s, and the main ingredients are black-eyes peas (cow peas), rice, and pork (usually ham or bacon). Additional sides may include collard greens and corn bread.
By preparing and eating this dish, one hopes to experience luck in the year to come. Some families may eat the dish on New Year’s Eve while most will enjoy it on New Year’s Day.
Some of the ingredients of “Hoppin’ John” carry symbolic importance.
- Black-eyed peas: represent coins
- Collard greens: represent greenbacks (dollars) or cash
- Corn bread: represents gold
- Pork: recalls cheap cuts of meat provided to enslaved people
One customary act is to eat all but three of the black-eyed peas on one’s plate. This will promise a trio of benefits: luck, wealth, and romance.
Answer to Brain Teaser Question
C, E, A, D, B
Big Sky Buckeye 
I wouldn’t miss my black-eyed peas. I didn’t know the custom until I moved to Texas, but it’s great fun. I’m not as superstitious about it as some of my friends, but I figure it can’t hurt.
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Awesome! My mother-in-law in Maryland was a a stickler about having her black-eyed peas on New Year’s Day. Being from Montana, I was pretty much clueless about this tradition.,
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My mother-in-law felt the same way about her black-eyed peas. Being from Montana, I wasn’t aware of this tradition.
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a tradition I’ve never heard of before, how fascinating!
Your brainteaser had me going 🙂
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Kate, I am pleased you found some enjoyment in this post. I’ve never participated in the New Year’s tradition of eating black-eyed peas and such.
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lol establish your own tradition then Richard, I enjoy the unique 🙂
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My Dad would eat this every New Year’s. Unfortunately, I never took up the tradition.
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Kev, I’m with you. Being from Montana, I was a long way from this southern-inspired tradition.
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