Keeping Our New Year’s Traditions

Traditions are customs or beliefs passed down from generation to generation. By keeping our family traditions alive, we are also building strong bonds that connect us with each generation, from past to present and into the future. They foster a sense of belonging, continuity, and identity, providing positive memories and shared experiences.

As you all know, my mother was from Southeast Texas. Eating black-eyed peas on New Year’s day is not just a Texas tradition, but it is a common practice all throughout the South. I was raised eating black-eyed peas for New Year’s Day, and I have continued doing so ever since. So, yes, we had some black-eyed peas once again this year too. It doesn’t matter how you eat them, just as long as you do. I tend to make mine into a salad with ham and peppers and some kind of a vinaigrette. https://ajeanneinthekitchen.com/2025/01/02/double-good-luck-part-1/ As usual, I made a big batch, so I shared some with Mike and Lauren too. I mean good luck is supposed to be shared with others, right?! 🙂

Another New Year’s tradition we keep alive in our house is eating soft German pretzels. https://ajeanneinthekitchen.com/2025/01/03/double-good-luck-part-2/ Larry is 100% German and I have a lot of German blood running through my veins as well. This is a relatively new tradition in our house though. Even though there is a lot of German ancestry in our house (that also means a lot of stubborness), I just found out about this German tradition a few years ago, and Larry’s mom Ollie had never heard of it before I introduced it to her a few years ago. That being said, now that we know about it, we keep it up every year too. I shared some pretzels with Mike and Lauren too. Once again, good luck is only good if shared with others.

We still have plenty left of both, so we should have enough good luck to get us through all of 2026.

Happy New Year everyone. No matter what your family traditions are, keep them alive and share them with both the young and the old. They are part of what makes us who we are. May 2026 be filled with happiness, good health and prosperity for all. Stay safe and stay well. ‘Til next time.