As long as I can remember, I have eaten the same meal on New Year’s day; pork, sauerkraut, black-eyed peas, and mashed potatoes. I’m not really sure of the significance of any of those foods, but I do know that the one year I did not eat the black-eyed peas was one of the worst years of my life.

Once I got married my wife’s tradition of the New Year’s pretzel was added to the list. I had never had one of those and was surprised to find it was basically just another pastry, but magically knotted up to look like a pretzel. I figure as long as she can keep down the black-eyed peas from my family’s tradition, I can eat one more pastry to close out the 10 days of Holiday gorging.

Yes, gorging. I’m not sure about your Holiday season, but ours is basically one long, non-stop, Guinness World Book of Records, stuff-yourself-until-you-are-uncomfortable, food fest. By the time January second comes around I am so sick of the junk we eat that I am looking for ways to get vegetables in to my system intravenously.

So remember, eat your black-eyed peas this New Year’s day. They’re the part of the meal that bring you luck for the rest of the year – and that’s the gift that just keeps on giving!

Anyone else out there have a traditional, superstitious meal that they eat on New Year’s day?