Holidays come with their own requirements.

On Feb. 14, we send valentines. At Halloween, we trick-or-treat. At Christmas, we decorate a tree and wait for Santa to come down the chimney.

And on New Year’s Day, you might think the requirement is to watch a lot of college football, but that would be wrong. Well, maybe it’s correct, but also required is the mandatory consumption of black-eyed peas. For good luck.

There was a time when I was not fond of black-eyed peas, but my Southern-style mother saw to it that each Jan. 1st, we had at least as many black-eye peas as we were old. So the year I was nine, I ate nine black-eyed peas probably while holding my nose. My tastes have changed, and besides acquiring a fondness for such items as asparagus and Scotch, I also have acquired a taste for black-eyed peas.

And for those of you who might not like them, eat them anyway. The year 2008 warrents better luck, so black-eye peas are necessary for better luck in 2009, whether you like them or not. If your 401(k) is in a downward spiral, eat them anyway. If your job was eliminated, eat them anyway. If you got the flu, eat them anyway. Like them or not, that is what is done in the new year…like wearing green on St. Patrick’s Day.

Lots of guesses about how black-eyed peas became associated with good luck, but one that remains in the South is the story of Major General William Sherman’s march from Atlanta to Savannah during the Civil War. When the dust had settled, the Southerners found the Yankees had left them nothing to eat but what was once considered livestock feed. In other words, the Southerners were darn lucky to have black-eyed peas between them and starvation.

Okay, so now with Wall Street being what it is maybe black-eyed peas are all that standing between us and starvation today. So eat them in good health.

And here’s a little New Year’s recipe for those of you looking for a tasty way to eat black-eyed peas, no matter if you’re a Southerner, a Yankee or someone whose 401 (k) has taken a nose dive.

Black-Eyed Pea Dip
1/4 lb. butter or margarine
1/2 lb. sharp processed American cheese, cubed
1 lb. black-eyed peas, cooked and drained
5 jalapeno peppers, seeded
1 T. jalapeno juice
1/2 medium onion, chopped
1 4-oz. can chopped green chiles
1 clove garlic

In a large saucepan over low heat, melt butter or margarine and cheese. In a blender or food processor, puree remaining ingredients. Mix together. Serve hot with chips or vegetables as dippers. Makes approximately 8 cups.