New Year’s traditions are as different as the people that celebrate the holiday, and like those different people, each are special and intricate in their own right. Whether it’s cooking cabbage with a dime in it or ceremoniously watching the ball drop in New York, however you bring in the New Year 365 days of good luck is the intended result.

Rose Powell, who owns and operates Polly’s On Main Street, is hosting a New Years special at her restaurant where she’ll give out free servings of black-eyed peas and cornbread. Powell said there’s a tradition of putting money in the black-eyed peas for good luck, but she doesn’t do it at her restaurant because of the health department. However, she said the traditions still lives strong outside of the establishment.

“At home my grandmother used to put half dollars or silver dollars in the black-eyed peas,” Powell said. She said she doesn’t know if her grandmother still does it because many people don’t have silver dollars or half dollars much anymore.

“You got to have old pure silver money.” Powell said because quarters, nickels, dimes and pennies are made with copper and can ruin the beans.

Other traditions in the community Powell mentioned were cooking chitterlings and the newer one of making gumbo.

“It’s not a day for turkey and dressing so people usually do black-eyed peas, chitterlings or gumbo,” Powell said.

Although Polly’s will not be selling gumbo Thursday, the restaurant will be selling chitterling and shrimp plates.

Polly’s on Main Street will be open on New Year’

GRAPHIC BY NATHANIEL WEATHERSBY

s Day from 11 a.m. to 10 p.m., and Powell said her grandmother, mother and aunts will be there helping usher in good luck, via black-eyed peas and cornbread, for the community.

“There’s always a little nook where you go and get that deep Southern cooking,” Powell said about the inspiration behind her restaurant.

Powell said she welcomes anyone who wants to donate black-eyed peas to help her serve the community New Year’s Day.