How to Celebrate with New Year’s Day Food During a Pandemic

The boxed New Year's Day lunch had everything important.

It’s January 1 and time to celebrate with a Southern meal of collards, black-eyed peas, and cornbread, even though the world has been beset with the coronavirus pandemic for almost two years. What is a community to do when social distancing and mask-wearing are as important as serving traditional New Year’s Day food? 

A line of cars was waiting well before the start time.

Open a drive-through line is what Culdee Presbyterian Church in Moore County, NC, decided. Takeout is better than no food or no celebration at all. If students can learn remotely during a pandemic, people can enjoy food in a similar manner. 

Several volunteers were busy helping to keep the line moving.

The church’s congregation was busy early in the day preparing the food and assembling the boxes, and the takeout line was growing well before the start time. The long line of cars waiting for boxed lunches to take home was an indication of how much people enjoy celebrating together (even when they have to stay in their vehicles) and how important the food traditions of New Year’s Day can be. The desire to participate in a joint activity can override the reality of how little social inaction might occur. 

A pitmaster keeps the remaining barbecue warm.

The process was simple: Drive in, stop to order and pay, advance to pick up, and leave. No special orders. Every box was the same: Boston butt barbecue, collards, black-eyed peas, cornbread, and dessert (which was either a slice of pound cake or two cookies). The barbecue and dessert were added attractions—I would have gone for just the collards, black-eyed peas, and cornbread. 

So many cars were driving through the line and being served, I thought that the church would sell out early, well before the end time that was three hours later, and they did. Of course, most of us know to show up early for these events and then sit back and watch all the activity unfold. 

A sign at a busy intersection promotes the event in advance—without indicating the location (but the locals knew).

Starting the New Year correctly is so vitally important, and eating collard greens and black-eyed peas with cornbread guarantees good health and fortune (or so we have been told). If we do, life is good.

---

Note: An article about a different community gathering on New Year’s Day and its food traditions that I wrote for N.C.Food Blog of N.C. Folklife Institute is published here.