Out with the old: The traditions that mark New Year’s festivities

By Christopher M. Esing

Special to the Reporter

The traditional New Year’s Day meal in the American South includes pork (good fortune and wisdom), greens (money), cornbread (gold) and black-eyed peas (health and coins). (COURTESY)
The traditional New Year’s Day meal in the American South includes pork (good fortune and wisdom), greens (money), cornbread (gold) and black-eyed peas (health and coins). (COURTESY)

Each New Year’s Eve, we traditionally gather among friends to bid farewell to the old year as we welcome the new. The tradition of marking the passage of time and the coming of another year is as old …