This morning my wife and I were watching Good Morning Acadiana when the school lunch menus came on. My wife made a comment about so many schools serving red beans and rice today, and I commented “Well yeah, its Monday.”
She looked at me like I was crazy, which isnt that unusual given the things that come out of my mouth. This made me think, why do we eat red beans and rice on Mondays?
The Tradition of Eating Red Beans and Rice on Mondays
Back in the day, Mondays were traditionally known as “wash days”, the day when all of the family laundry was done. Doing all that laundry left little time to pay attention to cooking dinner. Red beans and rice were a perfect solution.
So, once I found this out, it raised two more questions.
Why were Mondays wash days, and why did we eat ham on Sundays?
Many years ago, housework work was run on a pretty strict schedule. Each day of the week had a specific job assigned to it.
So, there you have it. The history of why we eat red beans and rice on Mondays in Louisiana.
The mystery I cant figure out is why Louisianas official “Red Beans and Rice Day” is on October 24.
How can our official “Red Beans and Rice Day” not be dedicated to a specific Monday during October? You know, like the 3rd Monday in October every year.
Obviously, October 24 will land on a different day of the week every year. To have “Red Beans and Rice Day” on a Tuesday just feels…wrong.
Why Do People Eat Red Beans And Rice On Monday?
As I kid on Sunday nights, I knew it was time to take a shower, settle down, and get ready for school the next morning when I heard my mom pouring the red beans in the pot to soak overnight.
Honestly, we probably ate red beans and rice for dinner every Monday when I was growing up. However, I never stopped to think about why red beans and Mondays are a thing until today.
Why People Eat Red Beans & Rice on Mondays?
Why do New Orleans eat red beans & rice on Mondays?
The New Orleans tradition of eating red beans and rice on Mondays, though, is a bit more mundane. Turns out the custom stems more from down-to-earth practicality than otherworldly influence. It all comes down to this: The bone and any leftovers from the traditional Sunday ham dinner became the flavor base for Monday night red beans and rice.
Why do people eat red beans & rice on Mondays?
The tradition of eating red beans and rice on Mondays is so rooted in New Orleans culinary culture that singer and songwriter Johnette Downing immortalized the dish in a 1998 children’s song titled, “Today is Monday in Louisianna,” singing, “Today is Monday, today is Monday, Monday red beans.”
Why are red beans so popular in New Orleans?
T he basckstory: This staple of New Orleans’ kitchens is indebted to the Caribbean. “Red beans are the emblematic bean of Haiti and Eastern Cuba,” Elie says. “In New Orleans, they eventually became associated with Wash Day, or laundry day, which was on Monday. This was before washing machines, of course.
What would be Monday in Louisiana without red beans and rice?
Here’s what Chef Emeril Lagasse has to say about “Monday wouldn’t be Monday in Louisiana without red beans and rice. the morning simmering on the back of the stove. If there was a ham beans. The marrow from the cracked bone and a good amount of herbs creamy. When the laundry was done, so were the beans.