Auld years night/Hogmanay traditions

[annie0000]

Just been chatting on Barmaids F&D thread about food served on Hogmanay (sorry Barmaid) and got me thinking about the traditions different people have/had on Hogmanay.

My Mum and Dad always had pots of Stovies, Tattie Soup and Tripe on the go as well as the usual Buffet stuff - wee pies, fruit cake, black bun, madeira cake etc.

We had to clean the house from top to bottom as it had to be nice to welcome in the new year and we had a ceremonial changing of the calander at midnight!

My eldest brother was sent out before the bells so he could first foot (him being dark) and he had to arrive with his bit of coal and bottle of booze!

What things did you do or do you do?

[annie0000]

Why DT? Did she think he was rich cos he had coal ;O)

Why not karen - surely some of them must be nice?

[annie0000]

owdhamer - I come from a really rough council estate - but it didn't seem like it at the time - it was just normal. Everybody's coal hole was outside anyway so if you wanted to rob it there was nothing stopping you...

[owdhamer]

twas meant as a joke annie.you are more likely to be given a lump ,of coal that is

[annie0000]

:o)

[karenmac60]

Some are ok Annie, but I don't really know them - others are horrible and I wouldn't go near them if you paid me :D

[DTCwordfan]

oh, she liked her men hard and ........annie! Just like coal.

[annie0000]

that's a shame karen, maybe you should use Hogmanay as an excuse to get to know the nice ones better?

DT - quite!!

[karenmac60]

After 11 years I think we're all happy enough with the nodded hellos. I don't really want to become part of the 'lets stand in the close and gossip' crowd...

[Barmaid]

I'm more peed off about my avatar. It used to be ASBO (my lairy cat), now it is some symbol that I have had no idea about.

[Barmaid]

(Sorry Annie)

[Nibble]

Sorry barmaid, you seem to have a default of the Gravatar avatar, seems to be a glitch on the gravatar end of AB. This seems to pop up on various users avatars at weird times. It usually sorts itself out at the top of the hour. Hope this helps.

[quinie]

You brought back a lot of memories,annie0000.Shortbread and Black Bun(often home-made) on the table,whisky for the men,port or sherry for the women and home-made ginger wine for the bairns.It was great fun first-footing friends and having a sing-song.I remember the ashes had to be taken out to the bin just before midnight-all coal fires then.No TV then- but when we got it there used to lovely programmes on-White Heather Club etc. Better stop before I get too maudlin!A Guid New Year to you all

[annie0000]

Fair enough karen, i hear what you are saying.

Barmaid, no probs - I had a similar problem last week and it righted itself after a wee while.

[annie0000]

quinie - and too you - we were all coal too - I'd forgotten about the ashes as well - the white heather club, remember it well!!

[Prudie]

I'm sorry to say my parents always went to the mess ball and left me either alone or with babysitters. I never saw a new year in with either of them even once I'd grown up.

[annie0000]

that's a shame prudie - it's nice for the kids to bring in the bells.

[Ann]

Barmaid - my avatar wouldn't change from my Christmas one to my New Year one, but I was patient and didn't grumble and Hey Presto suddenly it changed after about an hour!

[Slapshot]

When growing up it was steak pie and all the trimmings about 10pm on hogmanay. The rule was and still is no booze before midnight and the first dram was always from the Ne'erday bottle which was always a wee bit special, (last time I did New Year at Mum and Dad's it was a 40 year old Glenmorangie). After the bells it was generally always open house in the street and we'd just flit from house to house everyone eventually gathering in the one house.

This year will be pretty miserable, I'll be in bed by about 10 back up at 530 to get back in here!