- Dec 25, 2010
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Here we had a house full for the traditional Low Country/Down East New Years Day meal.
The Menu:
Black eyed peas - for Luck/Good Fortune
Collard Greens (cooked long, slow, sweetened with cane sugar and soured with vinegar) - for Wealth
Rice - for the Bounty of the land
Salt Pork - to stave off Famine
Bread (Big Fat Yeast Rolls!) - for the Bread of Life (Religious, this is a Christian reference that we always related to "Breaking Bread with family; i.e. to ensure "togetherness")
Bread Pudding (made the traditional way with day old bread, "put up preserves" from last year, fresh eggs and honey - for the Sweetness of Life
My family has served this same meal, with the same presentation speech explaining the symbolism of every dish, for at least 191 years. We know for a fact that this meal was prepared and served in 1820 on New Years Day when my G-G-G-G-Grandfather and G-G-G-G- Grandmother (then newlyweds) opened their new home called "Tally Ho Plantation" near Oxford, North Carolina. We believe that they did not invent this themselves (obviously) and that it was a tradition they carried on from one or both of their families who were also prominent planters in the area (since the late 17th century.)
When I was first on my own, I continued this tradition. I have missed preparing this meal just two years in the 30 odd years I have kept my own household. The first time was 1992. I was unemployed, divorced and broke at the end of that year. The second was last year, and in 2010 I lost my job, my mother and her brother (who is disabled) both became quite ill, my uncle was swindled out of a great deal of money and had a break down as a result.
Coincidence? I think not.
My grandfather used to say that he was single handedly responsible for the Great Depression. He was, at the time, a successful young banker. He took his whole family on a wonderful train tour of the whole Northeast and Midwest from Thanksgiving, through Christmas, to the first week in January, 1928. They went to New York City, Niagara Falls, Toronto, Chicago... His mother missed preparing the New Years Day meal.
And of course we all know what happened in 1929.
Needless to say... I'll never skip another New Years Day Meal. I think it's my fault the banks collapsed in '08. In 2008 I waited to long to go shopping and the farmers market ran out of Collard Greens!!!
The Menu:
Black eyed peas - for Luck/Good Fortune
Collard Greens (cooked long, slow, sweetened with cane sugar and soured with vinegar) - for Wealth
Rice - for the Bounty of the land
Salt Pork - to stave off Famine
Bread (Big Fat Yeast Rolls!) - for the Bread of Life (Religious, this is a Christian reference that we always related to "Breaking Bread with family; i.e. to ensure "togetherness")
Bread Pudding (made the traditional way with day old bread, "put up preserves" from last year, fresh eggs and honey - for the Sweetness of Life
My family has served this same meal, with the same presentation speech explaining the symbolism of every dish, for at least 191 years. We know for a fact that this meal was prepared and served in 1820 on New Years Day when my G-G-G-G-Grandfather and G-G-G-G- Grandmother (then newlyweds) opened their new home called "Tally Ho Plantation" near Oxford, North Carolina. We believe that they did not invent this themselves (obviously) and that it was a tradition they carried on from one or both of their families who were also prominent planters in the area (since the late 17th century.)
When I was first on my own, I continued this tradition. I have missed preparing this meal just two years in the 30 odd years I have kept my own household. The first time was 1992. I was unemployed, divorced and broke at the end of that year. The second was last year, and in 2010 I lost my job, my mother and her brother (who is disabled) both became quite ill, my uncle was swindled out of a great deal of money and had a break down as a result.
Coincidence? I think not.
My grandfather used to say that he was single handedly responsible for the Great Depression. He was, at the time, a successful young banker. He took his whole family on a wonderful train tour of the whole Northeast and Midwest from Thanksgiving, through Christmas, to the first week in January, 1928. They went to New York City, Niagara Falls, Toronto, Chicago... His mother missed preparing the New Years Day meal.
And of course we all know what happened in 1929.
Needless to say... I'll never skip another New Years Day Meal. I think it's my fault the banks collapsed in '08. In 2008 I waited to long to go shopping and the farmers market ran out of Collard Greens!!!
