#first footing

[dvoeverie-stitches]

Our version of first footing. The light of the old year is used to light that of the new.

Happy New Year!

[greenthena]

Come and get your silly Good Omens New Year's fic! Fresh from the oven!

First Footing

It’s the later half of the 14th century and Crowley's on assignment in Scotland, when he's invited to stay with a noble family for the darkest days. He soon realizes that the family expects him to perform the First Footing, and bring good fortune to the family for the coming year. Being a demon, he’s not sure how well that’s going to work…

[now-winter-comes-slowly]

‘First-footing’ – connecting surviving Highland & Lowland New Year customs

📰 Just a short post highlighting another interesting article from The Quern-Dust Calendar – originally published 24th December 1993 – explaining the link between Scottish Gaelic customs…

[uwmarchives]

Joyous Hogmanay to All!

As New Year celebrations go, the Scottish tradition of Hogmanay is in a class of its own. Hogmanay harks back to the Viking midwinter celebration of Yule. It gained popularity after the Parliament of Scotland, during the Protestant Reformation, prohibited Christmas in 1640. Not until 1958 was it officially allowed to celebrate Christmas in Scotland. Here are some traditions regarding Hogmanay and preparation for the new year. 

It is traditional to give your living space and hearth a thorough cleaning and clear all your debts before the bells sound at midnight on New Year’s Eve, giving every chance for a fresh start in the new year. Fire plays a significant role in the Hogmanay festivities. Fireworks, torchlit processions, and bonfires are all symbols of the coming of more daylight after midwinter.

Another tradition is “first footing.” After midnight, to ensure good luck for the household, the first person to cross the threshold should be a dark-haired male. The first footer should bring with him a gift or gifts that hold hope for a prosperous and happy new year ahead.

A silver coin, luck and financial prosperity Shortbread, plentiful food Coal or peat, warmth Salt, flavor Whisky, cheer

“A guid New Year to ane an’ a’, and mony may ye see.”

All of us at the UWM Archives wish all of you a happy and prosperous 2019!

The above images come from the Catherine Campbell Papers, 1851-1959 (milw mss 155, box 1, folder 4). The collection is related to her Scottish heritage, involvement in various Scottish organizations, and her activities as a Highland Fling dancer including competition in Scottish games throughout the United States.

The first image is the cover of a brochure of Donald MacLean, Canada’s leading Highland outfitters. Next, is an undated advertisement for Teacher’s Highland Cream. “The Haggis, a traditional Scotch ceremonial dish, is always “piped in” together with Scotch Whisky.” Finally, from a book titled One Hundred Songs of Scotland: Music and Words, published by Oliver Ditson & Co. in Boston in 1859 are the words and music for Auld Lang Syne, which is sung immediately after the bells ring at midnight.

[dvoeverie-stitches]

Walking carefully down the completely darkened house shortly after midnight with the light of the old year—in preparation of setting the house ablaze with light. Our own personal first footing ritual.

[dvoeverie-stitches]

Our Personal First Footing Ritual

In our own personal ritual that we have practiced for years, I light a candle sometime on New Year’s Eve, and then five or ten minutes before midnight we douse all the other candles and turn off all the lights in the house. I wait outside then until midnight. My husband lets me in the house a minute or so after midnight and then we light candles with the flame of the old year, and then go round the house turning on all the lights.

We haven’t been able to do it in full in years, because of my mother-in-law’s bouts of delirium and paranoia, and just turn out the lights on our end of the house, and hope she doesn’t wake up to think I’m doing something suspicious outside. But this year since she is in the hospital we darkened the whole house.

This is one of my favorite moments of the year. I stand outside in the silence of the country night and watch the flame of the candle—on windy years sheltering it as closely as I can. This year was still and bright under the waxing gibbous moon. The tiny little town that we are near the edge of set off their fireworks a minute early, so I didn’t catch them in the above video, but when I turned the volume up all the way I can just hear the ones from the next town over (unfortunately also the buzz of the security light on the side of the house that we can’t turn off).

Entering the house with only the light of the old year.

I brought the advent candles back out, with the solar candle from the winter solstice in the center.

Before and after turning the Christmas lights back on. Then we went around the house and turned on all the lights, listened to Phish’s Auld Lang Syne from Madison Square Gardens and then the Irish Rovers version. And then still tired from living at the hospital this week, it was off to bed!

I hope however you celebrate New Year’s Eve it was wonderful!

[dvoeverie-stitches]

Waiting outside at midnight on New Year’s Eve to bring in fire from the old year to light the new.

[dvoeverie-stitches]

Waiting outside at midnight on New Year’s Eve to bring in fire from the old year to light the new. If you listen closely you can hear fireworks about half way through.