There certainly are some interesting traditions, superstitions, and customs that are tied to New Year's Day.
Some believe that the custom of making a lot of noise (yelling, banging pots and pans, and setting off fireworks) to usher in the new year not only serves to celebrate the happy event, but also is done to scare away evil spirits. Hmmmm... If all this noise is supposed to also occur at midnight, there is a conflict with the kissing thing. Tell me how it's possible to smooch and make a lot of noise at the same time -- without annoying the one you are kissing?
I've also heard about people who pay off all bills before January 1st, as it is not wise to start the new year in debt. (That is wise counsel any day of the year, right?!) However, you are not supposed to pay back loans or lend money or other precious items on New Year's Day. To do so is to guarantee you'll be paying out all year.
Another custom that is supposed to ensure prosperity for the upcoming year is to make sure everything in your household is stocked up -- a full pantry and a fat wallet.
Some folks look to the weather as the new year begins. "If the wind blows from the south, there will be fine weather and prosperous times in the year ahead. If it comes from the north, it will be a year of bad weather. The wind blowing from the east brings famine and calamities. Strangest of all, if the wind blows from the west, the year will witness plentiful supplies of milk and fish but will also see the death of a very important person. If there's no wind at all, a joyful and prosperous year may be expected by all." (Thank you, Snopes, for verifying this superstition.)
When it comes to food, there are plenty of customs, traditions, and even superstitions that are tied to the start of a new year.
As I was growing up, our neighbor, Helen, always prepared cooked cabbage on January 1st. It made her house smell bad, but it surely was tasty! The greens had to be eaten cooked, not raw, to guarantee a good (root-tootin') start to the new year. Why cabbage? It is believed that the green leaves look like folded money and are symbolic of economic prosperity. Why cooked? Who knows. If all the noise-making and revelry at midnight didn't do the trick of chasing off evil spirits, the added aroma of cabbage cooking just might finish the job.
Although Helen was a God-fearing woman, she was somewhat superstitious. I do know that she held more tightly to her Christian faith than "irrational beliefs" about the unknown.
Helen and her husband never had children of their own, so she shared stories and beliefs with me and my siblings. She liked to have a lot of fun, and I think that she told us about various superstitious beliefs and notions just to carry on her family's traditions. She provided us with a great source of entertainment -- and good eats! I do wish I would've taken notes.
We always make a pot of cabbage stew at the start of a new year to honor Helen's memory. Lucky or not, it simply tastes delicious. She got that part right.
I don't open up umbrellas in the house or walk under ladders, just in case she was correct about those things, too.
Our cats are brown. :-P
Now that we live in Texas, we have been instructed by our southern neighbors that cabbage alone just doesn't cut it. The word on New Year's Day is legumes -- specifically black-eyed peas. (And I don't mean the singing variety.)
Legend says that during the Civil War, the town of Vicksburg ran out of food and supplies while under attack. The hungry residents discovered that the fodder for cattle known as "cow peas" could be made into a tasty dish for human consumption. The Vicksburgians felt fortunate to have this source of food, so that is why "luck" is associated with these legumes. After the war, a local PR firm felt that "rebranding" was in order, so the name was changed from cow pea to black-eyed pea, and the rest is history. Or something like that. I may have a few facts mixed up. Or I may have made up a detail, or two.
And let's not forget yet another food associated with New Year's Day; the tamale. I really do not care for tamales, so don't ask me to make them from scratch. I will buy them for the Smithlings.
When we lived in California, one of our neighbors would prepare massive amounts of tamales and generously share them with friends and family. Mr. Smith and the kids always enjoyed being on the receiving end of that deal! I do make sure there are tamales in the house to honor our Cali connections, but don't expect me to actually eat one.
I just realized how much of an impact our neighbors have had on us. All three food items that we had on our January 1st menu were influenced by people we have lived next door to, at some time, somewhere in our lives. Interesting... We have had awesome neighbors no matter where we call home. And good eats usually are somewhere in the mix.
Do we really believe that eating these specific foods bring health, wealth, wisdom, and good fortune in the new year? Nope. It just tastes good, and brings fond memories to mind. Besides, we do not need luck. We are already blessed!
Happy 2014!
