In the southern United States, eating black-eyed peas on New Year's Eve or New Year's Day is traditionally associated with good luck.
The peas are often served in a dish called Hoppin' John, commonly made with black-eyed peas, rice, and pork. Greens may accompany the meal and symbolize money, while cornbread can represent gold in popular interpretations. Together, these foods form a prosperity-themed New Year meal in many Southern households.
The custom has complicated historical roots. Black-eyed peas arrived in the Americas through the Atlantic slave trade and became important in African American foodways. One widespread story says that eating them became associated with luck after Union raids left the peas behind while other crops were taken during the American Civil War, though historians treat simplified origin stories cautiously.
Recipes vary by family and region. The stable point is the pea's New Year association with luck and prosperity, not one mandatory ingredient list.