New Years O/S family traditions?

Icemaiden

This dates back to my O/H grandma and we have done this for many years.

The first person who enters the house after midnight on new years eve/day must have dark hair and be carrying a piece of coal. Its supposed to bring you good luck for the coming year!

Does anyone else do this type of thing or is it just us that are crazy? :snow_laug

foreverskint

I thinks it's called first footing, and dates back a long way. I believe it's a Scottish/Northern, Tradition.
We don't have any traditions in our family I'm afraid, other than phoning each other at Midnight to wish a Happy New Year.

Edinburghlass_2

Its supposed to be a dark, handsome man who first foots with some food, usually black bun or shortbread and a piece of coal. This is to bring the family warmth and and food for the rest of the year.

It is also considered unlucky to be your own first foot.

Lang mae yer lum reek

:xmassmile

Icemaiden

Fantastic! Thanks for that foreverskint,

I didn't know it actually had a name and haven't found anyone who had heard of it before. When friends have come back to our house and we have gone through this routine they just think we've had too much to drink, now I can tell them.
My O/H will be well chuffed.

scuzz

When I was little we all used to stay together, get a snowball or port and see in the New year, singing Auld Lang Syne.

Now we just do our own thing

gilly41

Hi
I grew up in a Market town in North Yorkshire and as a kid we always had this tradition. It is called First Footing- not sure if it is a handsome stranger(it used to be my great uncle- he must have been all of 70 then LOL).He used to go out of the house just before midnight and come back in with a piece of coal and wish everyone Happy New Year. We dont do this but if we go to my SIL on New Years Eve she has someone to do the First Footing!!
xxx

tootles_2

My husband is a Scot and as someone else has said first footing is a must up there, he was often asked to first foot, because he was tall dark and handsome, now he is tallish grey and craggy!!!!

My MIL used to clean the whole house on new years eve, they had a coal fire and it was put out and the grate cleaned out and laid and then after the first strokes of midnight had died away the fire was relit.....she never washed on new years day, ' if you wash on new years day you wash a life away'....... not only did the first footer bring coal and black bun but also salt........ then all the neighbours would come in for a party, one year they found my husbands cousin asleep on the floor behind the settee 24 hours later, no one realised he was missing, it was the tradition to go round to various parties through the first day of the New Year and no-one had noticed he was not around, just thought he was still partying!!!!! He never lived that down!!!!

We celebrate in a much quieter way with a glass of champagne and listen to the bloomin' fireworks going off all around us, no point in trying to sleep until they have finished.