So, I had 3 weeks off for Christmas break this year. I decided to spend 2 weeks at home with my family, but then I wanted to do something fun and different. I googled, "best places for New Year in Europe. There were several choices: Salzburg (done that), Berlin (been there), Budapest (a bit too depressing) and Edinburgh, Scotland. A colleague of mine actually told me that New Year's Eve is bigger than Christmas. I did a bit of research. The Scottish tradition of New Year is called Hogmanay.
The word Hogmanay is essentially the Scots word for the last day of the year. Different parts of Scotland have their own traditions for Hogmanay including: viking longship burning, fireball swinging, and first-footing.
What is First Footing?
Traditionally, it has been held that your new year will be a prosperous one if, at the strike of midnight, a "tall, dark stranger" appears at your door with a lump of coal for the fire, or a cake or coin. In exchange, you offered him food, wine or a wee dram of whiskey, or the traditional Het Pint, which is a combination of ale, nutmeg and whiskey. It's been suggested that the fear associated with blond strangers arose from the memory of blond-haired Viking’s raping and pillaging Scotland circa 4th to 12th centuries. What's more likely to happen these days is that groups of friends or family get together and do a tour of each others' houses. Each year, a household takes it in turn to provide a meal for the group. In many parts of Scotland gifts or "Hogmananys" are exchanged after the turn of midnight.
What are the origins of Hogmanay?Hogmanay's roots reach back to the animistic practice of sun and fire worship in the deep mid-Winter. This evolved into the ancient Saturnalia, a great Roman Winter festival, where people celebrated completely free of restraint and inhibition. The Vikings celebrated Yule, which became the twelve days of christmas, or the "Daft Days" as they became known in Scotland. The Winter festival went underground with the Reformation and ensuing years, but re-emerged at the end of the 17th Century. Since then the customs have continued to evolve to the modern day. It is only in recent years that Hogmanay has been celebrated on such a large scale: the first event of its kind was at "Summit in the City" in 1992 when Edinburgh hosted the European Union Heads of State conference.
I got to celebrate Hogmanay Edinburgh style!
The word Hogmanay is essentially the Scots word for the last day of the year. Different parts of Scotland have their own traditions for Hogmanay including: viking longship burning, fireball swinging, and first-footing.
What is First Footing?
Traditionally, it has been held that your new year will be a prosperous one if, at the strike of midnight, a "tall, dark stranger" appears at your door with a lump of coal for the fire, or a cake or coin. In exchange, you offered him food, wine or a wee dram of whiskey, or the traditional Het Pint, which is a combination of ale, nutmeg and whiskey. It's been suggested that the fear associated with blond strangers arose from the memory of blond-haired Viking’s raping and pillaging Scotland circa 4th to 12th centuries. What's more likely to happen these days is that groups of friends or family get together and do a tour of each others' houses. Each year, a household takes it in turn to provide a meal for the group. In many parts of Scotland gifts or "Hogmananys" are exchanged after the turn of midnight.
What are the origins of Hogmanay?Hogmanay's roots reach back to the animistic practice of sun and fire worship in the deep mid-Winter. This evolved into the ancient Saturnalia, a great Roman Winter festival, where people celebrated completely free of restraint and inhibition. The Vikings celebrated Yule, which became the twelve days of christmas, or the "Daft Days" as they became known in Scotland. The Winter festival went underground with the Reformation and ensuing years, but re-emerged at the end of the 17th Century. Since then the customs have continued to evolve to the modern day. It is only in recent years that Hogmanay has been celebrated on such a large scale: the first event of its kind was at "Summit in the City" in 1992 when Edinburgh hosted the European Union Heads of State conference.
I got to celebrate Hogmanay Edinburgh style!
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| Almost too cliche! |
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| I did a ghost tour late that first night. Ghost tours are always full of interesting historical anecdotes. |
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| Strolling the streets of Edinburgh late at night. |
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