Cracker Barrel ditches beloved Southern New Year's tradition of black-eyed peas without warning

For generations across the South, black-eyed peas have traditionally been served on New Year's Day.

The dish is associated with a "mystical and mythical power to bring good luck" in the year ahead, according to writer John Egerton in his book "Southern Food: At Home, On the Road, In History."

For years, Cracker Barrel served as a reliable last stop for displaced Southerners trying to uphold a New Year's Day tradition. If black-eyed peas weren't simmering at home, they could be ordered alongside cornbread and country sides.