Kitchen Garden Forum

Different parts of the country have different traditions on new years eve in our town it's a hotpot at just past midnight before the hot pot the darkest male present has to leave the house by the rear door and on the stroke of midnight he has to bang on the front door twice the door is only opened on the second knock and he has to be carrying a lump of coal which is nearly impossible to find these days ,what is traditional in other parts of our country
Happy New year to everyone

Forgetting the hotpot
the tradition I grew up with was known as 'First Footing'
To bring good luck for the coming year the first person to knock on the front door and cross the threshold after midnight was supposed to be a dark haired stranger carrying a lump of coal.

Just a slight regional variation from yours robo. I grew up to the west of London

I have no coal, have gone white haired and it isn't past midnight as I type but Happy New year to you and yours robo

We do First footing here too Robo and Pa snip. We use the same lump of coal every year and I've passed the job on to my son now I no longer have dark hair. When I was little the first footer used to bring a silver coin too to bring good luck for the new year. We all have a tipple to toast absent friends and welcome in the new year too.

Many years ago when I was a post woman I delivered a letter to an old lady's house on about the 5th of January and she almost kissed me. She had been waiting for someone to call to let the New year in as it was bad luck otherwise and I was the first person to go to her house. I did wonder how long she would have waited.

All the best to the pa snip family hope you have a lot more to celebrate, our lump of coal has changed to bottles of prosecco I've always been blond never been the one chosen to carry the coal ,I'm also the hotpot maker this year all delivered to my eldest daughters ready for midnight

Best wishes to you all for 2017.
Here's hoping for kind weather and some good crops.

I hope OH is on standby at the church clock this evening. 2016 has had one second added so that we all remain synchronised with Milton Bryan Coordinated Universal Time.

John

Can I pass on the wee please.

Voddie and a light splash of orange squash for me ta.

Happy New Year to one and all.

Happy New Year everyone!

No traditions for us other than spending time with the people we love and enjoying a few well deserved drinks.

This year we went to a local pub who are all about using local ingredients. Pudding was called 'allotment carrots' - photo below as it made me smile and is the inspiration for my New Years resolution - learn to bake!

Pawty