Cassie from Back to her Roots has a great recipe for Slow Cooker Ham ‘n’ Beans so I thought I would share it with you since eating Ham ‘n’ Beans with cornbread is my family’s New Year’s Day tradition for good luck the whole year through. As a child, I thought this meal was disgusting and would only eat a few bites on New Year’s because my mom would tell us if we didn’t eat at least a little bad luck would follow us through the year. Over time, I’ve grown to love this meal and of course the tradition behind it too.

My husband’s family’s New Year tradition from his mother’s side is to wash their hands in coins for wealth, eat cole slaw for health, and finish with a drink of champagne for happiness.

From his father’s side, they race to say, (phonetically) “forte aleck” to each other with the meaning “give me silver.” Which originated from “bistraynti `alayk”, the traditional greeting that every Lebanese kid learns to scream at the top of his/her lungs on New Year’s morning meaning, “my *bistrayne* (i.e. new year’s gift) is on you, [so] you have to give me the gift.”

What are your family’s New Year traditions?

Do you eat Ham ‘n’ Beans and Corn Bread or Black-Eyed Peas and Collard Greens?

I hope you have a wonderful day with those you love the most and wish you only the very best for 2013. Happy New Year!

image linked to original creator back to her roots