The end of the year is quickly approaching and, as is tradition, many are seeking out resolutions that will bring them the ever-coveted fresh start of a new year. While setting goals can be an important and rewarding task, there’s also a Virginia tradition – or superstition – that promises loads of fortune and happiness in the following year. 2020 is coming up quickly, and there’s no better way to get ready for a shift in time than a trip back in time, by way of solid southern tradition. Nothing shows Virginia’s southern roots quite like our love of food and a good tradition. So it seems fitting that our 2020 luck ritual begins in the kitchen with the preparation of black eyed peas. If this sounds bland to you, there’s a good chance you haven’t tried this version. So here’s a recipe for bringing the best of luck, so you can follow along with this New Year’s superstition in Virginia.
You’ll want to begin, of course, with the black eyed peas themselves. They’re the real star of this Virginia tradition.
jacqueline/flickr These tiny little beans have their origins in Virginia dating back to the Civil War. When Union Soldiers ruined the crops that grew in the South, the Confederate armies were able to survive thanks to this special food. Some go as far as counting out 365 black eyed peas to ensure luck on each day of the upcoming year.
Depending on taste, you can either stew up some tomatoes….
Sherri Lynn Wood/flickr Black eyed peas when paired with stewed tomatoes are said to embody wealth and health.
Or sautee some delicious collards!
Tim Sackton/flickr Collard greens also signify good luck when paired with black eyed peas, stewed tomatoes, or both.
You definitely shouldn’t neglect the fine Virginia Smithfield ham for a little flavoring.
Julia Frost/flickr Whether you flavor the stew with ham hock or decide to slice it up into morsels, you can’t go wrong with Smithfield. It’s a real Virginia tradition.
If you’re really looking to seal the deal, a slice or two of homemade cornbread can’t hurt.
David K/flickr This southern staple is a tasty representation of gold for wealth in the New Year. Who doesn’t want to experience health and wealth come 2020? In Virginia, cornbread just might be the way to do it.
And here you have it! Your final product might look like this…
jeffreyw/flickr It’s true southern decadence, right there.
Or this….
Julia Frost Follow/flickr Well-rounded meals all around!
…Or even this!
Carmen/flickr It doesn’t really matter how it all looks in the end, because the taste will be delicious. Perhaps 2020 will be the year of invoking solid Virginia traditions.
And there you have it, folks! An easy peas-y way to ring in the New Year with the promise of great fortunes. Of course, ultimately it’s the making of the meal and enjoying it with friends and family that sets a wonderful tone for the days to come. But then again…if generations of Virginians have sworn by this recipe, there’s got to be something to it and it’s no doubt a well-known New Year’s superstition in Virginia.
jacqueline/flickr
These tiny little beans have their origins in Virginia dating back to the Civil War. When Union Soldiers ruined the crops that grew in the South, the Confederate armies were able to survive thanks to this special food. Some go as far as counting out 365 black eyed peas to ensure luck on each day of the upcoming year.
Sherri Lynn Wood/flickr
Black eyed peas when paired with stewed tomatoes are said to embody wealth and health.
Tim Sackton/flickr
Collard greens also signify good luck when paired with black eyed peas, stewed tomatoes, or both.
Julia Frost/flickr
Whether you flavor the stew with ham hock or decide to slice it up into morsels, you can’t go wrong with Smithfield. It’s a real Virginia tradition.
David K/flickr
This southern staple is a tasty representation of gold for wealth in the New Year. Who doesn’t want to experience health and wealth come 2020? In Virginia, cornbread just might be the way to do it.
jeffreyw/flickr
It’s true southern decadence, right there.
Julia Frost Follow/flickr
Well-rounded meals all around!
Carmen/flickr
It doesn’t really matter how it all looks in the end, because the taste will be delicious. Perhaps 2020 will be the year of invoking solid Virginia traditions.
Do you have any memories of eating this meal on New Year’s Day? Has it brought about any rewards? Share your thoughts with us!
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The OIYS Visitor Center
New year’s Superstition In Virginia November 09, 2019 Meghan Kraft Are there any other superstitions in Virginia? There are all sorts of stories and superstitions that spawn from Virginia, especially since it’s located in the highly story-wrought south. The southern United States is known for its focus on family lore and story. In Virginia, it’s been long believed that females bring bad luck to coal mines, and if birds are allowed to use one’s hair for nesting material, then the hair host will quickly go crazy. If one swept under the bed of a sick person, their life was soon to end. There are almost too many to count! What are the most popular traditions in Virginia? Local traditions are what makes each state their own, and makes it a personable place for folks to live. From apple picking in the fall to classic Virginia ham, there are quite a few local experiences that folks in Virginia have made a popular tradition. Oysters are a culinary delicacy, and honest Virginia tradition, as well as Chesapeake blues. Enjoy Historic Garden Week and make sure to snag Virginia peanuts to round out a traditional state experience. What is the most bizarre superstition in Virginia? One of the strangest stories in Virginia is perhaps the story of the hunter’s wife and the ax. The hunter’s wife was instructed to throw an ax at her husband to give him good luck, but if he failed to kill game that day, it was considered that his gun was spelled. Believed to be a work of witchcraft, an older woman in the community would be shot in response. Now, we’re not sure how many folks actually acted upon such a dark superstition, but it’s a strange park of Appalachian history that’s attributed to Virginia.
The OIYS Visitor Center
New year’s Superstition In Virginia
November 09, 2019
Meghan Kraft
Are there any other superstitions in Virginia? There are all sorts of stories and superstitions that spawn from Virginia, especially since it’s located in the highly story-wrought south. The southern United States is known for its focus on family lore and story. In Virginia, it’s been long believed that females bring bad luck to coal mines, and if birds are allowed to use one’s hair for nesting material, then the hair host will quickly go crazy. If one swept under the bed of a sick person, their life was soon to end. There are almost too many to count! What are the most popular traditions in Virginia? Local traditions are what makes each state their own, and makes it a personable place for folks to live. From apple picking in the fall to classic Virginia ham, there are quite a few local experiences that folks in Virginia have made a popular tradition. Oysters are a culinary delicacy, and honest Virginia tradition, as well as Chesapeake blues. Enjoy Historic Garden Week and make sure to snag Virginia peanuts to round out a traditional state experience. What is the most bizarre superstition in Virginia? One of the strangest stories in Virginia is perhaps the story of the hunter’s wife and the ax. The hunter’s wife was instructed to throw an ax at her husband to give him good luck, but if he failed to kill game that day, it was considered that his gun was spelled. Believed to be a work of witchcraft, an older woman in the community would be shot in response. Now, we’re not sure how many folks actually acted upon such a dark superstition, but it’s a strange park of Appalachian history that’s attributed to Virginia.
The OIYS Visitor Center
The OIYS Visitor Center
There are all sorts of stories and superstitions that spawn from Virginia, especially since it’s located in the highly story-wrought south. The southern United States is known for its focus on family lore and story. In Virginia, it’s been long believed that females bring bad luck to coal mines, and if birds are allowed to use one’s hair for nesting material, then the hair host will quickly go crazy. If one swept under the bed of a sick person, their life was soon to end. There are almost too many to count!
What are the most popular traditions in Virginia?
Local traditions are what makes each state their own, and makes it a personable place for folks to live. From apple picking in the fall to classic Virginia ham, there are quite a few local experiences that folks in Virginia have made a popular tradition. Oysters are a culinary delicacy, and honest Virginia tradition, as well as Chesapeake blues. Enjoy Historic Garden Week and make sure to snag Virginia peanuts to round out a traditional state experience.
What is the most bizarre superstition in Virginia?
One of the strangest stories in Virginia is perhaps the story of the hunter’s wife and the ax. The hunter’s wife was instructed to throw an ax at her husband to give him good luck, but if he failed to kill game that day, it was considered that his gun was spelled. Believed to be a work of witchcraft, an older woman in the community would be shot in response. Now, we’re not sure how many folks actually acted upon such a dark superstition, but it’s a strange park of Appalachian history that’s attributed to Virginia.
