There are records of black-eyed peas being eaten for good luck on New Year's Day all the way back to ancient Ba bylonia. This is a very old tradition, and I don't mean colonial America old, I mean really, really old. This video was posted a few years back, and features black-eyed peas, and not one, but three kinds of pork.
I love the New Year's day tradition of eating beans and greens to bring luck and prosperity.
