New Years Traditions
My Gammy has always told us that the best way to start a New Year is by incorporating a little bit of the old with the new. While I love that the New Year brings new adventures and possibilities, I don’t want to forget about the past either. That’s why I love how we find ways to bring in the new with the old. On New Years Day we do this by starting the year off with a pot of black-eyed peas, a lucky dime and resolutions.
It’s said to be good luck starting the year with black-eyed peas, and we make ours with an easy recipe. Gammy’s rule of thumb for cooking is to make things easier not harder. As long as the flavor is there, save time by using canned instead of dry black-eyed peas. Gammy loves to just throw a few cans into a pot and let it simmer on the stovetop. She seasons it to taste and lets the stovetop work its magic – the end result is great. The black-eyed peas represent luck and it’s a plus that they’re absolutely delish! I always pile my plate high with them – for the luck of course!
Another tradition that my Gammy does is putting a dime into our cabbage (no worries, she meticulously cleans it first). The cabbage represents wealth and the lucky finder of the dime is said to have good fortune for the year! Ever since I was little, I would heap my plate a mile high with the cabbage. I’ve later come to the conclusion that this was an easy way for my Gammy to get us to eat our greens. Nonetheless, it’s always fun to be the lucky finder of the dime and this year it was dad!
Resolutions
I really like making resolutions for the New Year because it is an easy way to track your progress and add more to life! As a family, we reflect on our favorite moments from the past year and then make resolutions. This reflection helps me find some of the aspects that may have been missing from this past year.
My resolution this year is to experience something new every week! Whether it’s learning a new skill, trying a family recipe or reading a new book – I want to fill my life with exciting adventures. Oh and to smile more – I hear it’s good for you!
I hope everyone has a fabulous New Year filled with good fortune and new adventures!
Orange Blossom Belle 