Have you had good luck for 63 years? Cuz you have been eating the “hoppin John”!
We started the tradition 10 years ago, when Susan at Jimmie’s market in Warrenton VA use to go around town and hand out samples, because she wanted everyone in town to have good luck.
But, we never eat it on New Years day, but on New Year’s Eve. We were told that you eat poor on the last day of the year, so that you can eat well for the New Year...that it was good luck to eat it on New Year’s Eve.
Ahem, yes, 66 years.
I never heard them called 'Hoppin John' till I joined the internet about 10 years ago.