Local restaurant rings in the new year with black eyed peas, collard greens, and more

WILMINGTON, NC (WWAY) — People are ringing in the new year in a number of ways, Including eating traditional new year’s foods. 

On Wednesday, Casey’s Buffet in Wilmington served hundreds of people black-eyed peas, and collard greens—food traditionally eaten on New Year’s Day. 

The southern tradition dates back centuries, being started by the African American community around the time of the Civil War. 

Collard greens and black-eyed peas are believed to bring good luck and wealth in the new year. 

Owner and cook Larry Casey says people also eat corn bread and pork, though the black-eyed peas are the most popular this year. 

“We do about a thousand people today. I mean that’s not including take-outs, we’ve been doing take-outs since 9:30 this morning. Planks, quarts, pans. The big winners today is the collards and black eyed peas,” he said. 

Casey says over the 20 years the restaurant has been open; they’ve only run out of these traditional new year’s good luck foods once.