Traditional New Year's Day Meal

Growing up in a country, Southern household we always had a special New Year's Day meal:  Polish sausage, saurkraut, black-eyed peas, cornbread and macaroni & tomatoes.  Apparently black-eyed peas are supposed to bring prosperity, you can read about that HERE.  My Granny, and a lot of other people I know, eat hog jawl on New Year's Day but I just could never bring myself to do it, even though I think it is supposed to be something like bacon.  It is said that hog jawl brings good health, you can read about that HERE.

Growing up, though, my mom always made Polish sausage and so I have continued that tradition.  I have changed the macaroni and tomatoes, though, to macaroni and cheese.  While I love macaroni and tomatoes, Scott and the kids aren't that fond of it and I usually am the only one who ends up eating it.

On New Year's Day I always make my mom's southern cornbread, too.  During the year I will go ahead and be quick and make the cornbread from the box but on New Year's Day, I have to have the traditional cornbread.  Scott isn't a fan, he prefers "sweet" cornbread, but for this one day I make it for me;)

Scott's parents used to eat herring on New Year's Day.  I've never heard of that one but it was their tradition.

Do you have a traditional New Year's Day meal?

This is what it looks like when I put it on my plate.

But, like any true country girl, I crunch the cornbread all up and cover it with the black-eyed peas.  I even add some mustard to it.  Scott says it looks disgusting (he doesn't like any food to touch) but I keep telling him it tastes so good!