Well, it's that time of year again and most Scots think that nobody celebrates Hogmanay (New Year's Eve) quite like us.
It's come a long way from the frankly, cringe making "White Heather Club", Andy Stewart et al that I grew up with. And some of the traditions aren't as popular as they once were.
Christmas until recently was not celebrated in Scotland. The winter Solstice holiday and the giving of presents happened at the New Year. Many Scots worked at Christmas until about the 1950s.
The Hogmanay traditions included cleaning your hoose (house) before the New Year. Nobody visited family, friends or neighbours until after the bells at Midnight, known in these parts as "first footing". With a bit of luck your first foot would be tall dark stranger (very unfairly women and redheads need not apply). George Clooney would just about fit the bill. I wonder if he has our address?
George would be bearing symbolic gifts in the form of whisky...
a lump of coal...
and a piece of black bun (that's a rich fruit cake)
Hogmanay in Scotland and in particular in Edinburgh is a big event and many tourists flock there for the torchlit procession (a throwback to Pagan times) Hogmanay concerts and fireworks. The growth of street parties has mirrored the decline in first footing locally. After the bells are rung to bring in the New Year everyone joins in the singing of "Auld Lang Syne" by Rabbie Burns.
Looks a bit crowded down there. I can't believe we used to be in there somewhere a few years back.
Another big night is in Stonehaven up the coast on the way to Aberdeen where they have a fireball Festival at Hogmanay. A few chosen townsfolk carry giant fireballs, weighing up to 20 pounds and birl (swing) them round their heads before eventually throwing them into the harbour. It's quite a sight.
The origin of the pre-Christian custom is believed to be linked to the Winter Solstice of late December with the fireballs signifying the power of the sun.
Wow - those photos look as though everyone has a fantastic time - funnily enough my brother lives in Edinburgh and has never mentioned any of these goings-on - typical bloke. Och aye the noo as they say.
ReplyDeleteHi,
ReplyDeleteAs much as I'd love to go to Edinburgh for New Year - I just don't think I could cope with the crowds, especially as this year it's reached record highs and apparently the weather was horrendous! My parents were up there on Boxing day for their 35 anniversary and came home a day early because it was so bad lol.
Last year I was there for the end of the festival which also fell on our 10th anniversary and it was crowded but not so much that I'd feel caged in like a hen!
As for celebrations? Well, I'll pretty much be doing nothing other than being home and having a few drinks. Happy New Year :D
one of the things I love about living on the island is that christmas is not really commercial at all, it's so refreshing after seeing the tremendous increase in commercialization of christmas down south, I'd heard about the fireballing but have never seen it, must be amazing, the scots blood in my mother meant that I grew up with a wee hogmanay at home, wishing you a great hogmanay Janet and all the best for the coming year, Frances
ReplyDeleteElaine, your brother may prefer a quiet night in... very sensible.
ReplyDeleteDid I not mention that there is no way I would be in that crowd now, Liz. It was fun in years gone by especially if we had tickets to get into Princess Street gardens which was less crowded.
Frances taking our visitors to Stonehaven for the fireballs was one of the best. It's all on a smaller scale.
So it will be a quiet night in, A Guid New Year to you all!
Thanks for sharing. I have to say I dont celebrate new years as to me its just another date on the calendar. I do feel more and more though that the winter solstice is the time when the new year starts and I start to look forward to new beginnings
ReplyDeleteGood heavens-- Who knew? Thanks for a whole lot of education! I love the fireballs, and the old traditions with pagan origins. I could easily move winter festivities to the Solstice but it is difficult to manage with others here ... Great post-- Joyous New Year!
ReplyDeleteI think probably a lot of the pagan fire traditions would have been at the winter Solstice but have got moved to New Year.
ReplyDeleteWhat i do miss about New Year is the feeling of community and neighbourliness that still happens in Orkney but not so much south.
I remember the The White Heather Club too Janet :( We now stay in (getting older) and celebrate quietly although I might not be able to curtail my excitement if one Mr Clooney came calling. May the new year treat you and those that you love kindly and may all that graces your garden flourish xxx
ReplyDeleteEnjoyed reading your post. In fact I've just posted about how I dislike New Year! But I think having read your post it might be because we don't know how to celebrate it in the rest of the country. My experiences of New Year have generally involved standing in the cold trying to get into packed nightclubs, queueing at the bar, queueing for the toilets, queueing to get your coat and then queueing to get a taxi and having to pay 3 times as much for the privilege. Fortunately those days are in the past. I do remember when I was a child, a friend of my Dad's bringing a piece of coal round on New Year's Day. We lived in the North East of England and a few Scottish traditions did filter down to us. I hope you a have a very Happy New Year and wish you all the best for 2012.
ReplyDeleteAnna, I'll redirect Mr Clooney to your door..I would rather Michael Fassbender came knocking at ours. I done' know what P would say...
ReplyDeleteWellywoman, sounds like grim New years you've had in the past. I've had a few too, being freezing cold features highly.
Lets all stay warm and look forward to good things in 2012.
Janet, I wish you a very happy New Year and a stunning 2012 Garden!
ReplyDeleteThanks Christine. All the best for the New Year to you too. I shall imagine you celebrating in the sunshine...
ReplyDeleteLovely post, and I hope George Clooney turned up for you!
ReplyDeleteYou reminded me that there's more to New Year than getting maudlin about the people who aren't around any more (I have a tendency to do that), and reminded me of some mad ones - like the year an ailing (very) early lamb which wasn't going to survive came to life in the kitchen while we were out seeing in the New Year and trashed the place... ho ho ho. Thanks, and a happy 2012!
Hello again Janet and a very Happy New year to you and P. Didn't realise you had posted on Hogmanay yesterday too . I could see that Stonehaven procession would cause quite an atmosphere in the town.
ReplyDeleteWe had the traditional things here with cleaning of the hoose (as you'll know from my post). We had neighbours first footing us just after the bells and my hot pot of stovies went down well and lasted until our daughters returned from parties. A good night had by all - and no sore heads this morning :-)
Kate, nobody turned up for us at all. There were a few texts and phone calls and we enjoed watching Jools Holland.
ReplyDeleteI think your early lamb was playing "possum"..
Shirley, I can't believe you cleaned the hoose. Good for you. P muttered about cleaning the windows but nothing happened. Some of our neighbours are coming round today so it's been quiet. Glad you had a good time.
ReplyDeleteSounds as if you have all been having fun, I find the older I get, the more I like my creature comforts, quick drink at midnight , then into bed by 12.05am! Hope you have a really good gardening year!
ReplyDeleteThose Edinburgh crowds remind me of Trafalgar Square in London - joining them is not something I wish to do any more! We do have a community where I live but it mostly revolves around the pub and I'd rather have a clear head on Jan 1st. (Sorry, really boring I know!) I had to look up Michael Fassbender but I'd know if George Clooney came first footing! Wishing you all the best for 2012!
ReplyDeleteI get the feeling that nobodys got the energy or the inclination to paint the town red anymore. I'm the same...
ReplyDeleteHave had a look for my son in the Edinburgh photo!
ReplyDeleteNo first footers here at my Dad's house on Speyside, but then my Dad is well over 80 so neighbours are probably being considerate to him.
The fireballing must be quite a sight--I bet the birlers have some good stories to tell. Sorry to hear that no Mr. C or Mr. F enlivened the wee hours with a visit, but maybe it's all for the best.
ReplyDeleteMy ancestors left Scotland too long ago for us to have any traditions still in the family, so I very much enjoyed getting the low-down on Hogmany. (Why wasn't Christmas celebrated until so recently?)
Janet, I loved to learn from you about the Scottish Hogmanay traditions. The fireball festival sounds like a wonderful one. Wishing you a happy and healthy New Year 2012! I am looking forward to see how your garden unfolds this year!
ReplyDeleteChristina
Very nice to read about such nice tradition :-). Please post more. Happy New Year to You.
ReplyDeleteLinda, I hope your son survived the street party in Edinburgh. I think your Dad deserves folk visiting at a reasonable hour.
ReplyDeleteStacy, the fireball was my favourite Hogmanay along with the New Years Day Ba game in Orkney. The non celebration of Christmas in Scotland went back to the reformation. It was seen as a Catholic Festival and greatly frowned upon by the Presbyterians.
Thanks for everyones good wishes for 2012. Looking forward to reading your blogs!