It is said that if you eat black-eyed peas on New Years Day, you will have a year of good luck. In fact, some believe that you should eat one pea for each day of the year.

In the southern part of the United States, collard or turnips are the greens of choice. Many believe that the more greens one eats, the larger the fortune for the next year. They seem to be the main requisite that is associated with bringing good luck for the New Year. But how did these traditions begin?

It is believed that during the Civil War, the town of Vicksburg, Va., ran out of food...

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