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Hoppin John
Black Eyed Peas and collard greens are eaten on New Year’s Day for luck and prosperity. I personally made a black eyed pea dip for Election Day, and things are working out so far. If you haven’t made Hoppin’ John, here’s a good recipe. BTW, if you want to make this recipe without pork, substitution with a combination of chicken broth, chopped mushrooms and chipotle peppers to give a great flavor.
Kwanzaa Celebrations
When I was a kid, I took dance classes. They were a mix of ballet, modern and African. The instructor got us a gig performing at a Kwanzaa celebration at a Black church. This was the 1980s in Birmingham, Alabama. I didn’t know how progressive this was until I became an adult. Kwanzaa is still relegated to the scraps of the holiday festivities or ridiculed as a “made up holiday”. Nicole Taylor writes about Kwanzaa celebrations for the New York Times.
BTW, Don Will created a Trap Kwanzaa Carol mixtape that still slaps.
7 Food Trends That Will Reign Supreme in 2021
I knew that Air Fryers would be on this list of food trends before I even clicked through to read the article. I would add beans. Beans are a cheap and healthy substitute for meat. Dry beans should be a pantry staple.
15 Best New Years Superstitions That Could Bring You Good Luck in 2020
My grandmother Mildred was very superstitious, and New Year’s Day required a lot of ritual. All the cleaning and washing had to be done on the day before. Christmas decorations had to be taken down before New Year’s Day/ There was no dirty laundry to be brought into the new year. Everything had to be fresh. It makes me wonder if family traditions are upheld because of family culture or fear of bad luck. The first college class I took was a seminar on free will vs determinism. In that class, I remember thinking that whatever you thought was true. Check out this list of New Year’s superstitions.
New vs Next
A few years ago, I created a Spotify playlist to convey the meaning of New Year’s Day. I included Fresh Prince and Jazzy Jeff’s ‘Brand New Funk’ as well as The Roots ‘The Next Movement’. It is interesting that we often interchange the words new and next; however they don’t mean the same thing. New is fresh. New is naive. Next is sequential. Next is jaded. I am trying to strike balance with 2021. It’s a tightrope, but I want to be hopeful without being naive. I wish the same for you.
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Check out Adrian Miller's article about Black-Eyed Peas on New Year's Day. https://gardenandgun.com/recipe/why-do-we-eat-black-eyed-peas-on-new-years-day/