beholders.org

Black-eyed peas are a variety of bean related to the cowpea and categorized as legumes. They have been cultivated in China and India since pre-historic times and were eaten by the ancient Greeks and Romans. During the time of the Pharaoh, black-eyed peas were a symbol of luck and good fortune. The belief was that those who ate black-eyes, an inexpensive and modest food, showed their humility and saved themselves from the wrath of the heavens because of the vanity they might have.

The "good luck" traditions of eating black eyed peas at Rosh Hashana, the Jewish New Year, are recorded in the Babylonian Talmud. The Jewish practice was apparently adopted by non-Jews around the time of the American Civil War.

Today, the tradition of eating black-eyed peas for the New for luck and prosperity can be done in many ways:

- Served with greens (collards, mustard or turnip greens, which varies regionally), the peas represent coins and the greens represent paper money. In some areas cabbage is used in place of the greens.

- Cornbread, often served with black-eyed peas and greens, represents gold.

- For the best chance of luck every day in the year ahead, one must eat at least 365 black-eyed peas on New Year's Day.

- Black-eyed peas eaten with stewed tomatoes represent wealth and health.

- In some areas, actual values are assigned with the black-eyed peas representing pennies or up to a dollar each and the greens representing anywhere from one to a thousand dollars.

- Adding a shiny penny or dime to the pot just before serving is another tradition practiced by some. When served, the person whose bowl contains the penny or dime receives the best luck for the New Year, unless of course, the recipient swallows the coin, which would be a rather unlucky way to start off the year.

Other good luck foods for the New Year:

In Brazil and in Italy, eating lentils are a sign of richness to come, since they expand as cooked. As well as eating pomegranates and saving 7 seeds in your wallet after dedicating 3 seeds to the three kings who visited Christ by throwing them over your shoulder after calling their names.

In Spain, consume twelve grapes at midnight—one grape for each stroke of the clock and each grape symbolizing each month of the year. This dates back to 1909, when grape growers in the Alicante region of Spain initiated the practice to take care of a grape surplus. The idea stuck, spreading to Portugal as well as former Spanish and Portuguese colonies such as Venezuela, Cuba, Mexico, Ecuador, and Peru. 

Cooked greens, including cabbage, collards, kale, and chard, are consumed at New Year's in different countries because their green leaves look like folded money.

In France some people eat heart or log shaped desserts, sometimes made of ice cream

The Danish eat Kale sprinkled with sugar and the Germans eat sourkraut.

 In Japan, the osechi-ryori, a group of symbolic dishes eaten during the first three days of the new year, includes sweet black beans called kuro-mame.

Roast suckling pig is served for New Year's in Cuba, Spain, Portugal, Hungary, and Austria—Austrians are also known to decorate the table with miniature pigs made of marzipan. Different pork dishes such as pig's feet are enjoyed in Sweden while Germans feast on roast pork and sausages.

In many Asian countries, long noodles are eaten on New Year's Day in order to bring a long life. One catch: You can't break the noodle before it is all in your mouth.

Poland, Hungary, and the Netherlands also eat donuts, and Holland has ollie bollen, puffy, donut-like pastries filled with apples, raisins, and currants.

In the Philippines and Ukraine, it's important to have food on the table at midnight.

With so many options, the good news is that yuo can pretty much eat anything and still be lucky.