Introduction:

The Southern New Year Celebration is a worldwide celebration for the beginning of the New Year. These festivals are among the oldest and the most universally observed.  This book takes you on a journey of the Southeastern part of America, honoring two southern states called North and South Carolina and sharing its rich history of southern superstition, tradition, culture, and lore.

Many believe, including myself, that what you do on New Year’s Day, you will do all year. While most of these superstitions and traditions are meant to usher in good luck and keep bad luck at bay, what you do can reflect how you’ll live in the coming year.

My 6th generation great-great-great grandfather James Dawkins emigrated to the U.S. 10 years before the Irish Potato Famine, also known as the Great Hunger, which began in 1845.

There is a story that has been passed down through the generations that James Dawkins was in The Battle of Churubusco.

 During the U.S. invasion of Mexico in 1846, 200 plus Irish immigrants from the U.S. formed the Saint Patrick’s battalion and joined the Mexican side. From mistreatments, the catholic Irish saw parallels between the mistreatment of catholic Mexicans and their own mistreatment by the British.  Although it consisted primarily of Irish immigrants, it also included black Americans who escaped slavery. Their flag read “Erin go Bragh,” which means Ireland Forever.”  Many were eventually captured in the battle of Churubusco.

In their final act of defiance, 30 men cheered The Mexican flag before they were hung. This isn’t typically taught in a U.S. history book lesson.

 However, Irish descendants still sing songs to uphold the legacy. Mexico holds joint commemorations with Ireland every year to celebrate this history, and there are statues of John Riley around Mexico.

My great-great-great grandfather James Dawkins survived that battle and escaped to North Carolina, where he was already the father of George W. Dawkins of Robeson, NC, born in 1840, who later married Martha Dawkins (Butler) of Laurel Hill, NC, born 1860. They were the grandparents of my grandmother Martha Eva Shoemake of Gibson, NC, born in Scotland County in 1921.

I am the living link to my family history. I will tell my children the stories of all the struggles waged at home and in foreign parts from generations past. Of the sacrifices made for our freedoms, the struggles, the lessons learned, and I will tell them my own story as well because everybody has a story to tell.  

 I was born and raised in the southern eastern part of South Carolina, in a county called Marlboro.

When I eat the food that my grandma used to make, I instantly feel transported back to a simpler time when families meant something to each other.  

The memories and sweet smells from my childhood are the ultimate reason why I keep my Southern traditions. I remember visiting my grandmother on many humid and hot Sunday afternoons after church; all the windows were open. There was no sneaking up on my grandmother, no matter how fast or slow I entered; the rusty hinges from that old wooden screen door squealed like fingernails scraping across a dusty old school chalkboard. As the old wooden door would snap shut.

My grandmother would be in the kitchen, humming an old gospel song, rolling out piecrust with a wooden rolling pin, and crimping the edges of the pastry with the tips of her arthritic fingers.

The cooking style and ingredients can vary depending on which part of the south you are from.

There is a rich history of Southern superstition, tradition, and culture. Southerners have a strong sense of regional heritage, so I believe southern food belongs to a region, not a race or ethnicity. Never forgetting our ancestry, we started creating new methods with minimal equipment and scarce resources, using every portion of edible scraps in the home—nothing ever went to waste. Southern-style food is not only about how we nurture people with every mouthful, but it tells a story of survival from each ingredient. 

I love trying out new recipes and experimenting with different flavors. Cooking is not just about nourishment for me but also a fun and creative outlet. There’s something so satisfying about seeing a dish come together and enjoying the result. Whether it’s trying out a new fusion cuisine or simply recreating a childhood favorite, food always makes for a fun activity.

I hope you all enjoy this book, cooking a few recipes and sharing them generously with friends and family while keeping the Southern News Year’s Day superstition, tradition, culture, and lore to be never forgotten. 

A.L. Childers explores the rich history of southern superstition, tradition, and culture. Southerners have a strong sense of regional heritage, so she believes southern food belongs to a region, not a race or ethnicity. They have not forgotten their ancestry but started creating new methods with minimal equipment and scarce resources; nothing ever went to waste using every portion of edible scraps in the home. Southern-style food is not only about how they nurture people with every mouthful, but it tells a story of survival from each ingredient. Often passed down through the generations, the dishes detailed in this book are cherished and shared at family gatherings, holiday feasts, and community suppers throughout the seasons. My folks didn’t cook out of cookbooks, much less write them- we just cooked.  Southern cooking is from our soul.

Soul food is more than just a cooking style; it tells a story of survival from each ingredient. The records of history mostly overlook the contributions made by these folks. Without property rights, the cooks lost ownership of the hybridized cuisine they created.   

A.L. Childers sees herself as a “cultural anthropologist” who digs beyond the recipe to tell the good cultural and often historical story that embraces the traditions across Southern cultures, including the contributions of every ethnicity through cultural expression throughout various regions that are South of the Mason-Dixon line. 

Unlocking Carolina’s New Year’s Day: Superstitions, Traditions, and Delicious Recipes

by A.L. Childers (Author)

Audrey Childers is an accomplished author, blogger, freelance journalist, and entrepreneur who has been writing and researching for over a decade. She is the creator and founder of Thehypothyroidismchick.com, a website that provides helpful tips for those living with hypothyroidism. Audrey loves spending time with her children and promoting optimal health and wellness for everyone. She has written several books, including A survivors cookbook guide to kicking hypothyroidism booty, Reset Your Thyroid,, The Ultimate Guide to healing hypothyroidism, and A survivors cookbook guide to kicking hypothyroidism booty: the slow cooker way All of Audrey’s books can be found on Amazon. This blog can be freely re-posted with proper attribution, author bio, and copyright statement.

Thehypothyroidismchick.com is a reliable source of health and science news relevant to our generation. They cover a wide range of stories but focus on contributing to their readers’ understanding of a complex and constantly changing field of information. They are driven by two core values: to provide accurate and informative content and to keep in mind the ultimate “smell test” – stories worth discussing with friends at a bar. At Thehypothyroidismchick.com, coverage is determined based on relevance, clinical significance, and editorial integrity. They do not prioritize commercial considerations and always clearly distinguish between factual content, commentary, and opinions to avoid misleading readers with institutional propaganda and speculation. This ensures that readers can trust the information they receive and make informed decisions about their health.

Please follow along with me on this journey of discovery as I share my brush of madness with exquisite clarity. Luckily, I was never a quick fix-it junkie where I said no to many suggestions from board-certified or certifiable doctors because I felt it in my soul that it was merely a bonafide being placed on my issues. The names of sure doctors have been changed because, frankly, I don’t want to be sued for proven the lack in their field. 

Hippocrates was right when he said: Let the food be thy medicine and thy medicine be thy food.

Disclaimer

The information and recipes in the blog are based on the author’s research and personal experiences. It’s for entertainment purpIt’s only. Every attempt has been made to provide accurate, up-to-date, and reliable information. No warranties of any kind are expressed or implied. Readers acknowledge that the author does not render legal, financial, medical, or professional advice. By reading this blog, the reader agrees that under no circumstance the author is not responsible for any direct or indirect loss incurred by using the information contained within this blog. Including but not limited to errors, omissions, or inaccuracies. This blog is not intended to replace what your healthcare provider has suggested.  The author is not responsible for any adverse effects or consequences from using any of the suggestions, preparations, or procedures discussed in this blog. All matters about your health should be supervised by a healthcare professional. I am not a doctor or a medical professional. This blog is designed as an educational and entertainment tool only. Please always check with your health practitioner before taking any vitamins, supplements, or herbs, as they may have side effects, especially when combined with medications, alcohol, or other vitamins or supplements.  Knowledge is power, educate yourself and find the answer to your healthcare needs. Wisdom is a beautiful thing to seek.  I hope this blog will teach and encourage you to take leaps in your life to educate yourself for a happier & healthier life. You have to take ownership of your health.

The views and services offered by Thehypothyroidismismchick.com are not intended to be a substitute for professional medical assistance but as an alternative for those seeking solutions for better health. We do not claim to diagnose, treat, prevent, or cure any disease but simply help you make physical and mental changes in your own body to help your body heal itself. Remember that results may vary, and if you are pregnant, nursing, taking medications, or have a severe condition, you should consult a physician or other appropriate medical professional before using any products or information on this site. Thehypothyroidisimchick.com assumes no responsibility for the use or misuse of this material. Your use of this website indicates your agreement to these terms. Our full disclosure, terms of use, and privacy policy.

The information on this site is not intended or implied to be a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. All content, including text, graphics, images, and information on or available through this website, is for general information purposes only. Opinions expressed here are the opinions of the writer. Never disregard professional medical advice or delay seeking medical treatment because of something you have read or accessed through this website.

This site is designed for educational purposes only and is not engaged in rendering medical advice, legal advice, or professional services. If you feel that you have a medical problem, you should seek the advice of your physician or health care practitioner. For additional information, please see Our full disclosure, terms of use, and privacy policy.

Our full disclosure, terms of use, and privacy policy. | thehypothyroidismchick