Happy Hogmanay!

You read it right...Happy Hogmanay!
Only one nation in the world celebrates the New Year or Hogmanay with such revelry and passion – the Scots!

It is believed that many of the traditional Hogmanay celebrations were originally brought to Scotland by the invading Vikings in the early 8th and 9th centuries. These Norsemen, or men from an even more northerly latitude than Scotland, paid particular attention to the arrival of the Winter Solstice or the shortest day, and fully intended to celebrate its passing with some serious partying.

When the clock strike midnight on 31st December, fireworks explode in Scotland. Crowds gather and the party begins to the tune of Robert Burns' Auld Lang Syne.






Traditions and superstitions related to Hogmanay:

One should clean the house on December 31st (this includes taking out the ashes from the fire).

One should clear all your debts before "the bells" ring at midnight.

One should welcome friends and strangers with warm hospitality and a kiss and to wish everyone a Guid New Year. It is verra important to clear out the vestiges of the old year before you welcome in a young, New Year.

"First footing" is still common in Scotland. To ensure good luck, the first person to enter your home should be male, dark (believed to be a throwback to the Viking days when blond strangers arriving on your doorstep meant trouble) This male should bring coal, shortbread, salt, black buns and whisky.

"Handselling" is the custom of gift giving on the first Monday of the New Year. So be sure to present your loved ones with a Hogmanay gift this year.

Huzzah!
Kimberly

It's Hunt-the-Gowk Day...be wary...

In Scotland April Fools' Day is actually celebrated for two days and is known as "Hunting the gowk". The second day is devoted to pranks involving the posterior region of the body. It is called Taily Day. The origin of the "kick me" sign can be traced to this observance.

Hunt-the-Gowk day falls on the week of April 1 when bairns of all ages play pranks on others then shout "April Fool" at their victim. In this more sophisticated age the practice seems to be dying out but it does remind us that in the past Kings and Nobles all had their Jester or Fool. One of the most famous in Scotland was Aberdeenshire's Jamie Fleeman, the Laird of Udny's Fool. He lived in the eighteenth century and was well known for his wit.

The history of April Fools' Day, sometimes called All Fools' Day, is not clear. There is no first "April Fools' Day" that can be pinpointed on the calendar, although it is known to date back at least to the sixteenth century. Most historians believe that April Fool’s Day originated in continental northern Europe and then spread to Britain.

More about April Fools' Day around the world...

• France - French children fool their friends by taping a paper fish to their backs. When the young victim discovers this trick, the prankster yells "Poisson d'Avril!" (April Fish!)

• England - Tricks can be played only in the morning. If a trick is played on you, you are a "noodle".

• Mexico – the counterpart of April Fools' Day is observed on December 28. Originally, the day was a sad remembrance of the slaughter of the innocent children by King Herod. It eventually evolved into a lighter commemoration involving pranks and trickery.

• Portugal - April Fools' is celebrated on the Sunday and Monday before Lent. The traditional trick there is to throw flour at your friends.

So be wary on this day. If someone calls, claiming to be giving birth, you might want to think on it before calling 911. My son lost a tooth last night and is playing to take the fake blood from Halloween to school to play a little prank on his teacher. I hope she has a sense of humor...