Stores open; city, county offices closed New Year’s Day
All area H-E-B stores and the Marble Falls Walmart will be open regular hours on Monday, Jan. 1. The post office, major banks, and city and county offices will be closed for the New Year’s Day holiday. Staff photo by Suzanne Freeman
The Marble Falls Walmart at 2700 U.S. 281, and all area H-E-B’s will be open for regular hours on New Year’s Day, Monday, Jan. 1. U.S. post offices, major banks, and county and city offices will be closed on the first day of 2024.
Schools in the Highland Lakes will remain closed for winter break, which began a few days before Christmas. The Marble Falls, Llano, and Burnet districts reopen their doors to students on Tuesday, Jan. 9.
BLACK-EYED PEAS ON NEW’S YEAR DAY
The tradition of eating black-eyed peas for luck on New Year’s Day harkens, some say, to the Civil War. Northern troops thought of the legumes as food for animals so ignored them, along with pork fat, when raiding for food.
The food “lucky” enough to be left behind was eaten by Southern slaves “lucky” enough to find it. Black-eyed peas and pork fat were readily available for simple but celebratory meals on Jan. 1, 1863, the day President Abraham Lincoln issued the Emancipation Proclamation, freeing the nation’s slaves.
Here are a few fun black-eyed peas facts and variations on the theme of luck and prosperity.
- A type of legume, black-eyed peas are not peas but beans.
- Add a shiny penny or dime to the pot before dishing out bowls. The person who finds the coin will receive the best luck of all.
- Eat with stewed tomatoes for wealth and health.
- For the best luck, eat exactly 365 peas.
- Eating cornbread with peas represents gold; served with greens, it represents paper money.
- Black-eyed peas are not just a southern New Year’s tradition; they are also a traditional dish served on Rosh Hashanah, the Jewish New Year, which happens in the fall.
- Black-eyed peas are rich in nutrients, including vitamin A, folate, manganese, and fiber.
- Studies show they may help lower blood pressure, support digestion, and maintain healthy skin.
LUCKY FOOD TRADITIONS AROUND THE WORLD
Black-eyed peas are not the only lucky food to eat on New Year’s Day. Here are a few from other cultures.
- In Spain and Mexico, many eat 12 grapes at midnight for luck in the 12 months ahead.
- Greeks throw pomegranates to the floor, releasing seeds that symbolize life and abundance.
- Fish are eaten to celebrate the Lunar New Year in Asian cultures, while Europeans eat cod, herring, and carp, all symbols of abundance.
- Eating ring-shaped cakes and other rounded sweets brings luck. Some bake a coin inside for extra luck.