Hope everyone enjoyed a happy, family Christmas dinner and that as the year winds (as in winding the fishing line) down this last day of 2010 that you will all have a safe and prosperous New Year in 2011.
I want to take this opportunity to thank you and appreciate your support and help throughout the year.
In Scotland, Hogmanay- the last day of the year in the Gregorian calendar- is celebrated sometimes more exuberantly than Christmas (must be the pagan tribal memory!!). It was customary for a tall, dark, handsome stranger to bring you a gift of peat (coal or wood) for your fire and heat for the coming year with the greeting "lang may yer lum reek". Roughly translated this means, "long may your fire burn". It set in motion a tradition of people visiting other people. Sometimes people you don't even know would be showing up at your door 'crashing' the party. Remember though that the neighbourhoods of old were small and everyone knew everyone. Sometimes for the fun of it, neighbours would adopt disguises and the concept of the 'mummers' was born (the mummers were friends and neighbours in disguise who came with a wee gift and had a drink- did a 'turn' or a dance in neighbours houses before heading onto the next)- a kind of travelling party troupe if you will. I believe the traditions are still part of the celebrations in the rural communities much like they are in the Eastern provinces of Canada. It does seem a bit foreign to me now- here, we don't visit unless there is an invite.
I digress, I wish you all a Happy New Year wherever midnight finds you. I do have an invite and will be heading ovger to celebrate locally with friends- trifle (not peat) in hand- actually I wonder what my friends would think if I showed up with some firestarter!! lol
There is an old Irish New Year greeting too, it goes something like, "May your right hand always be extended in friendship and not want"
Slangeva (the Gaelic word for Cheers) See you all in January.
Mrs. J.
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