the horns from the ships - remember standing in me mums back yard many a time to listen to them bringing in the new year - seem less every year - of course being dark and 6 foot they also made me bring a piece of coal into the house and the neighbours - what the hell is that about?
Here you go mate...
New Year's Eve - A Brief History
To most of us New Year’s Eve is a big party night to welcome the new year in. But where did the tradition come from?
Since the dark ages in Celtic countries New Year’s Eve has always been celebrated and more so than at Christmas. Bonfires were lit and kept burning all night to ward off evil spirits and to encourage the sun to return. This symbolised the burning of the old year out.
Before 1600, celebrations were practised on 6th January, but in 1600, the 1st January officially became New Year Day and became included in the Yuletide celebrations.
We still get dressed up on New Year’s Eve, but these days it’s party wear. Historically it was customary on New Year’s Eve for people to walk the town and houses carrying cow hides and chanting rhymes in Gaelic, whilst beating skins with sticks and striking walls of houses with clubs to keep hostile spirits at a bay.
It was also customary to place a silver coin outside the house on New Year’s Eve. If the coin was still there the following day it would indicate a prosperous year ahead.
This led to the custom of placing a piece of coal, a piece of bread and a silver sixpence outside the house for good luck and prosperity. New Year was also the focal point for all household and business tasks to be completed.
First footing was also an old custom and is still practised today on New Year’s Eve. This is where the Old Year is let out through the back door and the New Year let in through the front door at the chimes of midnight. It was, and still is, custom that the first person at the New Year to pass over the threshold should be a dark haired male bringing coal or whisky for luck in the New Year.
The celebration of New Year’s Eve, or Hogmanay (Moon of the Hag), is worldwide and millions of people from around the world, particularly in Edinburgh, London and New York, gather together to celebrate the new year in to the Robert Burns song ‘Auld Lang Syne’ which means for old time sake.
So now you know! Happy New Year to you and enjoy all those New Year’s Eve parties.
