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Great Way to Celebrate a New Year by Tilly Greene
Posted
on Lady Jaided for January 2009
Well,
congratulations, you’ve made it through Thanksgiving, Chanukah, Kwanza,
Christmas, Boxing Day, and the Winter Solstice.
What could possibly be next? Did
you forget about New Year’s Eve celebrations?
If you have the energy for going out, then you might find it easier
to stick to the same theme as last year.
Attend a party, filled with friends and/or family, lots of
champagne and done by one o’clock. How
about shaking things up and doing something new and fresh?
Yes?
Fantastic.
My suggestion is to go to Scotland for Hogmanay!
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By the way, I don’t want to hear
about the cold weather as an excuse not to go.
The upside to the chill is that there will still be plenty of
kilted men walking around to keep things toasty.
With that taken care of, let me tell you about a few things that
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| make you want to go Scotland next year for the holiday.
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Hogmanay
isn’t merely a different way of denoting New Year’s Eve, there’s a
unique background to go with the specific name that also helps shape how
the Scots celebrate. The
festivities are solidly rooted in an amalgamation of Norse, Viking, Gaelic
and Roman winter festivals. Common
themes run between all these early cultures’ special events, but
there’s one that links all of them to each other and the contemporary
approach to the bash. It is
fire and how it represents both death and renewal, and it sits at the
heart of this holiday.
One
of the best parts of celebrating the dawning of a new year in Scotland is
that it doesn’t matter where you choose to participate.
Parties take place in homes, small villages or large cities like
Edinburgh and Glasgow. People
gather to release the pent-up strain of the past year, casting it out and
making room for whatever the new one will bring.
| Once the sun has set and the air
turns seriously chilly, everyone bundles up and heads off to their
preferred party location. Music
is |
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| played, people dance and sing along.
Whether at a street party or at home, everyone is ready to break
loose and let the festivities commence.
Hearty stews, wine and sweets are consumed while the energy
continues to ramp up in anticipation for the real party to begin. |
That’s
right, what makes this holiday so special in Scotland happens later.
As
midnight looms the bagpipes start up with Auld
Lang Syne, credited to Scottish poet Robert Burns, and sung by all.
The song, with its universal appeal, has been adopted by people
around the world as a way to bid a fond farewell to the old and welcome
the new with open arms. Kiss
your friends, hug strangers, and shake the hand of your enemy, all while
sharing toasts with whisky. Fireworks
explode and balls of fire are tossed into the chilly night air, well into
the wee hours of the morning.
And
now the real party begins with first-footing!
First-footing
takes place in Scotland and by some in northern England.
It is a custom that has been around for a long time.
Roots to this tradition go as back as Viking invasions and have
changed little. How it works
is that the first person to enter a home after midnight has passed, should
be male with dark hair and carrying tokens cementing good luck for the
residents. A lump of coal,
whisky and an oat cake are the most commons gift to offer and in return, uisge beatha, water of life (whisky), and food are shared.
Sound
fun? It is because throughout the night, as long as the chilled limbs can
move, and one more dram can be shared, first-footing continues, house to
house, party to party.
While
Hogmanay is for friends, New Years day, or Ne'erday,
is for family.
Neither
hangovers nor exhaustion excuses anyone from carrying on with the
festivities. First-footing
continues with visiting friends and relatives, immediate and extended.
Each of these stops should be viewed as a mini-party. A
token of good luck is offered, food and drink is shared and everyone is
merry. The visits continue for
days.
That’s
right, days! Depending on
which day of the week Ne’erday falls, the New Year’s celebrations
could mean more public holidays added to the calendar and last until the 4th
of January.
At
a time when it’s easier to cast the old ways aside, I’m happy to find
one culture that embrace their traditions.
The Scots have accomplished this with Hogmanay and Ne’erday.
They’ve melded the ancient and modern customs together, thereby
making the holiday stronger and more meaningful, all while maintaining
ties to their history.
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By the way, all the parties are not
finished after a few days. In
case you find yourself in Scotland during January, then you have about
three weeks to get rid of the Hogmanay hangover and prepare for Burn’s
Night
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| on the 25th. What
does one do in memoriam for Robert Burns besides quote a poem or two?
Drink whisky and address the haggis, of course.
And yes, there will also be men wearing kilts and pipers at these
festivities as well.
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Basically,
all you need to know is that despite the cold weather, and yes, there will
be snow and ice, January is the month to visit Scotland!
There is always something exciting happening.
To keep warm, there are always the lads who aren’t afraid of the
cold so they readily don the kilts and there’s plenty of food and drink
to explore along with the sights.
If
you can’t make it to Scotland, then don’t despair, recreate the fun in
your own home with a little help from the internet.
Search out recipes, cook some simple things, and share with your
family and friends. A new
experience is a great way to launch 2009 with a bang!
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