Here in Nova Scotia, the New Year’s Day tradition is the levee. Food, drink, socializing, and music are the order of the day. This year will be different, as we all know. So here’s an idea for you: start a home-based New Year’s Tradition. No party required.

I come from the South (as in Kentucky, in the US) and there we have a long-standing food tradition that my superstitious soul cannot withstand. On New Year’s Day, one must eat black-eyed peas and cabbage. My mother says the black eyed-peas are for luck and the cabbage is for money (I think we can all use a bit of those in 2021). If you think I’m making it up, click on this link to get a bit more on the background of this tradition- though the Texans are claiming bragging rights. So, on the first day of the year, for as long as I can remember, I’ve eaten black-eyed peas and cabbage. Recently (and mainly due to my husband getting tired of just boiled cabbage and plain old black-eyed peas), I’ve tried some new recipes, such as braised cabbage.  Now, finding black-eyed peas in Nova Scotia can be tricky, but there are stores that carry them in cans (which makes for a quick batch of Hoppin’ John), and I have found them dried at times. Cabbage is in abundance, but I think you need the green kind for it to count, so make sure you include that in your recipe. Good luck to all, and a prosperous and healthy 2021. Now go eat your black-eyed peas!

-Angela Reynolds, Community Engagement Coordinator