Happy New Year, or as the Scots say, Haud Hogmanay! (the word hogmanay has been around in printed text since 1604 but there are several thoughts as to its origin)
Celebrating the dawn of 2020 here in beautiful Scotland (and the photo above was the very last sunset of the decade, taken from my back door), I thought I would take the opportunity to share some of the Scottish heritage, traditions, and customs of this celebration.
Getting ready...
On the last day of the year, it is tradition to clean the house, dispose of anything no longer needed, and to pay all outstanding debts - so that everything is fresh and ready for the new year. This process is known as 'redding'.
Visitors...
While many people go to community gatherings to ring in the new year, here the tradition is for “First footing” (or the “first foot” in the house after midnight) visitors - and to ensure good luck for the house the first foot should be that of a dark-haired male, and he should bring with him symbolic pieces of coal, shortbread, black bun, salt, and a dram of uisge-beatha.
Why dark-haired? This tradition goes back to the time of the blonde-haired Viking raiders... need I say more!
Why these presents? Coal for heat, shortbread and black bun, a rich cake, symbolised good food all year, salt for health... and what is uisge-beatha? Whisky for good cheer and hospitality.
Uisge-beatha is the Gaelic word for whisky and literally means water of life - and pronounced oooshga-beya.
So, how am I celebrating bringing in the new year? Well, although I am here by myself, I decided to get all decked out in a stunning ball gown, complete with lots of beautiful bling - and a tiara (as one does) - and a fur coat and fur-trimmed gloves (it's brrrrrrr chilly outside!!!), made a fabulous fire beside the loch, sat under the pitch black magnificent sky and had a delicious dinner and some delectable wine with which to wash it down; finished dinner, put out the fire, and am now back inside in my PJs, curled up with an abundance of pillows on my massive, thick, soft sheepskin rug in the living room, beside the fire, enjoying an abundance of incredibly good whisky, writing this to you, and about to curl up with one of my presents to myself - a first edition, 1830s Sir Walter Scott book of poetry.
A simply delightful way to bring in the new year here in beloved Scotland!
While I am at it, here are some other Scottish phrases, although they don't specifically apply to this time of year - see how you go with working out the meaning (answers below):
- Whit's fur ye'll no go by ye!
- Lang may yer lum reek!
- Failing means yer playin!
- Mony a mickle maks a muckle!
- Keep the heid!
- We're a' Jock Tamson's bairns!
- Dinnae teach yer Granny tae suck eggs!
- Is the cat deid?
- Haud yer wheesht!
- I'm fair puckled!
- Ah dinnae ken.
- It's a dreich day!
Oh, and people from Scotland are Scots, or Scottish, they are definitely not Scotch - Scotch is a drink - Whisky - and in case you are wondering about spelling, the Irish spell the word with an e - whiskey, the Scots without.
"Each age has deemed the new-born year the fittest time for festal cheer." -- Sir Walter Scott
While definitely no poet, I was challenged by a friend, in honour of Sir Walter Scott, to come up with a rhyme (she called it a rap) for new year's... So here goes:
The mid-winter darkness, the crisp, still air,
The loch at peace while my fire crackles near.
As the whisky goes down, its warmth rises to my cheeks,
While thoughts of this past year, months, days and weeks
Dance delicately through my mind.
The tears shed this past year in joy and in sorrow
Are lovingly absorbed into the loch, and the morrow
Brings with it the blank, magical canvas of a newly-minted year
Where thoughts of abundance, good health, and good cheer
Dance intriguingly through my mind.
So, sleep my dear friends, and dream your best dreams;
Find thoughts of your best self, and offer them up to the moonbeams.
Let us imagine our greatest desires as if they are already here,
While thoughts of the coming months, days, weeks, and year
Dance gloriously, blissfully, and passionately through our mind.
"You are never too old to set another goal or to dream a new dream." -- C.S. Lewis
May this year bring you and your loved ones an abundance of love, health, riches, and anything and everything that is dear to you...
Happy 2020, my glorious friends...
~ Bella
~~~
Whit's fur ye'll no go by ye! - What's meant to happen will happen.
Lang may yer lum reek! - May you live long and stay well.
Failing means yer playin! - When you fail at something at least you're trying.
Mony a mickle maks a muckle! - Saving a small amount soon builds up to a large amount.
Keep the heid! - Stay calm, don't get upset.
We're a' Jock Tamson's bairns! - We're all God's children, nobody is better than anybody else - we're all equal.
Dinnae teach yer Granny tae suck eggs! - Don't try to teach someone something they already know.
Is the cat deid? - Has the cat died? Means your trousers are a bit short - like a flag flying at half mast.
Haud yer wheesht! - Be quiet.
I'm fair puckled! - I'm short of breath.
Ah dinnae ken. - I don't know.
It's a dreich day! - Said in reference to the weather, when it's cold, damp and miserable. |
