Southern tradition is strong in Southeast Texas as families hit the grocery store for black-eyed peas and cabbage in the hopes of good luck and prosperity in the new year.

“We’ve been doing this all my life. It’s all we know,” Rosalinda Cardenas said while picking out a head of cabbage at Bruce’s Market Basket in Groves on Saturday. “It’s a family tradition that’s been going on for I don’t know how many years.”

The tradition of eating black eyed peas, representing good luck, and cabbage, representing money, has been around for generations as locals can attest to.

Beverly Minaldi also stopped by Bruce’s Market Basket and searched for a small head of cabbage to go with her black-eyed peas.

“It’s what my mother did,” Minaldi said. “I seldom cook but I do this for New Year’s. Have some black-eyed peas and cabbage with a little ham or sausage. You gotta have your peas and cabbage.”

Ronnie and Barbara Phillips browed through the store and stopped by a large display of fresh, green cabbage.

“This was passed down form my grandparents to my mom to me,” Barbara Phillips said. “Not a new years day goes by that we hadn’t had black-eyed peas and cabbage for good luck and prosperity. Not everyone in the family likes it but they eat a spoonful.”

While the south will be enjoying the peas and cabbage on New Years Day people in Spain will likely eat 12 grapes at midnight for good luck for the 12 months ahead.

Folks in the Philippines may hold a midnight feast called Media Noche and Colombians may carry an empty suitcase around the block.