New Years Traditions

For as long as I can remember on New Year’s Day my family has always eaten black eyed peas, collard greens, and a pork loin. My mother always told me it was to bring good luck and prosperity. I am not a huge fan of collard greens so once a year is fine by me. The south isn’t the only place that has traditions for the new year; every culture has its own way of celebrating New Year’s.

In Spain and some other countries of Spanish descent eat 12 grapes at midnight; one for each stroke and it is considered necessary to finish the last grape on the final stroke. Each grape is thought to represent the 12 months of the year that is to say if the first grape is especially cold January could be a very cold month.

The eating of steamed or boiled greens is not limited to collard greens. German cultures tend to eat sauerkraut and Danish people eat stewed Kale. It is thought that cooked greens resemble folded money, and will bring the eater extra money in the coming year. Here in the south I was always told that the more greens you can eat the more prosperous you will be in the New Year. (This explains why I am not rich.... Hmmmm.)

The tradition of eating some type of pork whether it is sausages or in my family’s case the pork loin comes from the belief that pigs represent advancement. Pigs push and move forward with their noses when they root around in the dirt. Chickens on the other hand are considered bad luck to eat on New Year’s because they scratch backwards in the dirt and this can cause you to look back on your life with regret and sadness. In fact eating any poultry or bird is not recommended because the good luck could fly away! Lobster is not recommended as well because of their ability to move backwards.

The world is filled with superstitions regarding the New Year. Do you have any in your family? What are you favorite ways to ring in the New Year? How do you celebrate the holiday? My favorite is fireworks! All of my life I have been fascinated by firework displays.

All in all a new year symbolizes a fresh start and promises new beginnings. As we head into 2011 I wish all of my readers a blessed new year and hope that all of you discover a way to embrace your joy! Writing this blog has been such a great way to for me to express my passion of food and writing. Happy New Year to you all!

 

 

Sources:

http://www.epicurious.com/articlesguides/holidays/newyearsday/luckyfoods

http://www.wilstar.com/holidays/newyear.htm

Where does Eggnog come from?

Eggnog is a treat that many people cannot imagine going through a holiday season without. Many anxiously await its arrival on store shelves, sometimes as early as Halloween, because it signals the beginning of Christmas time. This alcoholic beverage has some obscure beginnings. There is some disagreement over how it came to be and why it is called “eggnog”. What we, as Americans, know as eggnog is a descendant of what were once milk and wine punches in Europe. In colonial America milk was more readily available than it was in Europe at that time, which generally made their milk and wine punches something for the upper class only. However, the expensive and over taxed brandy or wine from Europe was cost prohibitive to the colonists; they began using rum. Rum was abundant and cheap, and commonly called “grog”. Many historians argue that the name “Egg Grog” soon became “Eggnog.” Though “nog” is also an old English dialect word used to describe strong ale. A “noggin” was a small, carved, wooden, mug and likely what eggnog would have been served in. Not a large jump to see how an egg drink served in a noggin could become eggnog! No one is really sure how the name came about.

What we do know is that up until around the 19^th century it was typically a drink of the upper classes in Europe and fairly common at social gatherings in America. Traditionally in Baltimore on New Year’s Day young gentlemen would go and visit all of their friends. Eggnog would be offered at all the homes and naturally many of these young men would be very drunk after a few stops. This made it very difficult to finish the visits to everyone!

Few people stop to give any thought to the traditions we have and why we have them. History holds so many keys to who we are and where we are going. I am not a big fan of eggnog myself, but many are. I find it interesting that in nearly every country there is a recipe similar to that frothy little drink, we call eggnog, offered up at social gatherings particularly in the winter time. Everyone has their own recipe and their own preference as to what liquor goes into it. Here in the south it is usually bourbon. In Germany they have a version called “Biersuppe” which I think literally translated means beer soup…. Correct me if I am wrong. You guessed it though, they make their version with beer! How great is it that we are all connected? Merry Christmas y’all! Please enjoy this recipe for eggnog passed to me from a friend who asked I not mention her name. As always, feel free to adapt your tastes and make it your own. Let me know how it turns out!

 

 

Eggnog

Ingredients:

6 eggs, separated

½ to ¾ cup sugar (depending on how sweet you like it)

Dash of salt

3 teaspoons vanilla

2-3 cups Bourbon (depending on how strong you want it, you could also use Brandy or Rum)

1 ½ cups Milk

Nutmeg for garnish

Prepare:

Beat egg yolks, ¼ cup sugar, salt, and vanilla together until very thick and light yellow. (could add 1-2 teaspoons of Nutmeg here too if you like) Slowly beat in bourbon and milk. Cover and chill 6-8 hours or overnight is best. Right before serving beat egg whites to soft peaks, slowly add remaining sugar until creamy; slowly pour the egg white mix into the chilled bourbon mix, folding the egg whites very gently. Serve with a bit of grated nutmeg over the top. ENJOY!

Source: http://www.kitchenproject.com/history/eggnoghistory.htm#nog2