NASHVILLE, Tenn. (WTVF) — Something about this time of year, you hear a lot of people sharing their New Year's traditions. A whole lot of people seem to have the same favorite dishes for each January 1.
I was going through the NewsChannel 5 archive, and I found a story set at a Piccadilly on the first day of 1999.
"They'll always ask if we've got black eyed peas," a woman working at the restaurant said. "I tell them, 'yessir, yes ma'am, we do!'"
Watching it, I wanted to talk to someone about this tradition so many people do; eating black eyed peas on the first day of a new year.
Luckily, there were two perfect people for that.
"That would be us!" said Madelyn Allen, smiling as she scanned groceries.
She worked at a lane just across from Sarah Turntine's space. They work at Turnip Truck Natural Market.
"I usually have black eyed peas, fish, cabbage, and hot water cornbread," Allen told some customers.
"If I can't answer [a question], I'm gonna say, 'I'm gonna pass it to Miss Sarah!'" she laughed.
"It's like a tradition with my family," Allen continued, turning her attention to black eyed peas on New Year's.
"I grew up with the tradition of cooking the black eyed peas and collards," Turntine added.
"They say it's for good luck," Allen said.
"Black eyed peas are supposed to represent the silver coins, so you would always have money in your pocket," Turntine smiled.
They also know about people's variations on the traditions. Some believe in eating exactly 365 black eyed peas on New Year's Day.
"365 is supposed to represent the whole year," Turntine nodded. "Nobody can eat 365 black eyed peas! That's a lot of peas!"
"Some people put a dime in the pot," Allen said.
"We never put the dime in there, honey," Turntine said. "There were ten children running around in our house!"
Javoris Golden also works there. His grandmother had a black eyed peas tradition I'd actually never heard of before.
"When she would serve the black eyed peas, she would just give us a half dollar for good luck," he remembered. "We love John F. Kennedy!"
Back to that story from 1999. The black eyed peas tradition was explained then by Piccadilly customer Mary Waller.
"The black eyed peas are prosperity," Waller said in 1999, pointing to the items around her plate. "The turnip greens are money. The sweet potatoes, I don't know."
It just goes to show we're lucky to have people to keep our traditions alive and explain them, people like Waller, Allen, and Turntine.
"I eat mine out of a can, baby!" Allen told a customer. "I ain't doing all that cooking!"
"Ready? How we doing today? Happy New Year's Eve," Allen said as another customer walked up carrying groceries. "You got your champagne ready? Your black eyed peas?"
Do you have a positive, good news story? You can email me at forrest.sanders@newschannel5.com.
In this job, we have the opportunity to meet truly remarkable people. The Sullivan family has faced incredibly tough times, but time and time again, turn their grieving into giving. What an honor to tell their story.
- Carrie Sharp
