Resolutions and Black-Eyed Peas

Ever wonder why we are so hard pressed to make a new year's resolution? What are some of the top resolutions? And why do so many people tell me to eat black-eyed peas on January first?

First of all, a resolution is a committment or decision to do something or behave in a certain manner. Accordingly, popular resolutions include: losing weight/becoming more healthy, quit smoking/quiting a bad habit, and becoming financially sound/getting out of debt. After hunting around on the Internet, I found that the tradition of celebrating the new year dates back to the time of the Babylonians, about 4,000 years ago! The early Babylonian's themselves often resolved to return borrowed items. The early Christians believed that we should reflect on past mistakes and resolve to make the new year better.

So, thousands of years of tradition and custom is carried on when we make a resolution. What's your resolution? I resolve to do something I've never done before every week! We'll see how long that lasts.

Did you eat your black-eyed peas yesterday? I did. I also had them for leftovers today. The tradition of eating black-eyed peas on January 1st is a Southern tradition. The reason for eating these legumes is that it is said to bring good luck and prosperity to whomever eats them. In Texas, cabbage is also traditionally eaten on the first day of the year as it is a symbol of money. So, if you ate your black-eyed peas and cabbage, you should be good to go for the rest of the year.