Hog
I had my traditional black-eyed peas and hog jowl just now. Yum. Its a Southern tradition in my family. It comes from a belief that the pig represents prosperity—which is a view shared by many cultures.
But the jowl is definitely not eating “high” on the hog. Its a low, inexpensive cut of meat. I always assumed that eating common black-eyed peas and a cheap cut of meat was a throwback to the Depression, where having any kind of meat at all was a blessing. Its customarily Southern to celebrate defeat as well as success.
From this article, I also learned that one reason the hog was a symbol for the New Year is that he cannot look back without turning around. He is always looking ahead—a good omen for the new year.
1 month ago