I have friends from Scotland who celebrate Hogmanay. An important part of the celebration is first-footing: the first person through the door in the new year is a bringer of good luck for the coming year. As Wikipedia says: The first-foot usually brings several gifts, including perhaps a coin (silver is considered good luck), bread, salt, coal, or a drink (usually whisky), which respectively represent financial prosperity, food, flavour, warmth, and good cheer.
Well, nothing like reading Wikipedia. I know several people from Scotland, and I have been invited to Hogmanay celebrations. Through Wikipedia, I learned that Greece and some parts of Russia have similar customs.
In a similar manner, this first blog post of the year is full of good wishes for the New Year. Starting off on the right foot, so to speak.
Happy New Year! May it be a year of peace, health, prosperity, food, flavor, warmth and good cheer for everyone!
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P.S. Yes, this post is a little late, but Wikipedia has saved me again. According to Wikipedia, Hogmanay celebrations and visiting can last until mid-January. My own experiences with Hogmanay were one-night celebrations, but indeed...why stop a good thing while people are still having fun?
We would send the tallest darkest man of the family out just before the bells (midnight) so he would be the first foot to cross the threshold, and he had to be equipped with coal for warmth, a coin for wealth, an orange for food (why an orange I don't know!) and a bottle of whisky for - the rest of the party! - and good cheer. It was usually my brother-in-law who had to endure fifteen minutes or so of chilly Scottish weather before a warm return and Auld Lang Syne and then First Tea which was a sit up at the table ham salad every year the same. I'm afraid I relied on the fact that Karl would inevitably be the first person across the threshold in the new year - and we could wait till morning!
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