New year's eve traditions / history of the event??

artichoke

Hi all

Has anyone got any suggestions for how to celebrate new year with a 5 and 6 year old? ie not down the pub all night but something more homely;)

It would be good to start some family traditions for new year's eve, now they are old enough to stay up past 8pm...

I saw a thread last year that explained some of the old scottish rituals but i can't find it now..

any ideas anyone ? obviously needs to be low cost evening and would like to invite some friends over with their kids..... freezer full of home grown lamb and goose so feeding people not a problem, i would just like ideas for "activities",,,,, dark haired men and coal spring to mind but i don't know the basis of the tradition...

thanks for any help

art

lucylucky

http://www.rampantscotland.com/know/blknow12.htm

Do whatever you like - start your own "tradition"

Sublime_2

Not sure if this is what I'm definitely doing yet, but mine will probably be in bed, while I watch Jools holland Hootenanny.

My favourite thing at New Years eve. :j

LandyAndy

Children that age will all be either asleep or miserable as sin by midnight.

itsallinthemind

I used to love NYE as a child. I now know that midnight was actually around 9pm

Parents used to have a special tub, each year we undid the last years, looked at what we had put in it, photos etc and saw how things had changed or laughed about the things inside. Then we put all the things we wanted to remember from that year inside. We collected them over the year, things we made at school, photos, tickets to zoo's etc. Like a yearly time caspsule I guess?

Then we used to have a mocktail, fizzy water and squash, in a proper champagne flute(disposable probably safer!) when the 'midnight' alarm clock went off.

We even used to dress up in our glad rags and have a great bop around the living room lol

No idea about traditions, we made our own

Fruball

Move the clocks back a couple of hours so the kids aren't really ratty by 12.

A friend of mine does that with hers - they get the excitement of 'seeing the new year in' but with less hassle Once my two are a bit older, I shall be doing exactly that :rotfl:

Fruball

itsallinthemind wrote: »

I used to love NYE as a child. I now know that midnight was actually around 9pm

Parents used to have a special tub, each year we undid the last years, looked at what we had put in it, photos etc and saw how things had changed or laughed about the things inside. Then we put all the things we wanted to remember from that year inside. We collected them over the year, things we made at school, photos, tickets to zoo's etc. Like a yearly time caspsule I guess?

Then we used to have a mocktail, fizzy water and squash, in a proper champagne flute(disposable probably safer!) when the 'midnight' alarm clock went off.

We even used to dress up in our glad rags and have a great bop around the living room lol

No idea about traditions, we made our own

Thats a lovely idea - I might start a similar capsule.

I kind of have a Christmas one - it has some of my old toys in it from childhood, and Xmas pics that the children have done over the years. Each year it all gets packed up, along with the new additions into the Christmas decoration box

itsallinthemind

Frugal wrote: »

Thats a lovely idea - I might start a similar capsule.

I kind of have a Christmas one - it has some of my old toys in it from childhood, and Xmas pics that the children have done over the years. Each year it all gets packed up, along with the new additions into the Christmas decoration box

Oh don't I found out my mum took all our old bedragled ones to the charity shop-replaced them with new ones, I cried buckets!:o:rotfl:

I know there is a lot to be said for not hoarding every single picture a child ever draws etc, but the Christmas memories are SACRED!

Time capsule was great, big old tub, painted dark bluey black, then we painted fireworks on it. Such a state, but it was cherished

Becles

We usually put our jarmies on and have party buffet food, and sit round and watch films or something until just before midnight. Then we open the fizzy wine (a dribble topped up with lemonade for the little ones ) and watch Big Ben and the London fireworks at midnight.

My youngest is only 3 so she'll go to bed early on when she starts getting tired and irritable!

denton6

hi i wanted to start some new traditions at christmas in our house. was goona do this on news years eve but oldest son has had to go back to work between christmas and new year so wont be home on the evening. I bought a sky lantern from hawkins bazar we set that off on christmas night and we each had a cadburgh wish star to eat and make a wish as it went to the sky. the sky lantern i bought had a lovely happy face on it which is just what i needed this year. the lantern was £5 and the wishes i now no are on offer at 30p if you have a co-op near you. hope you have a brilliant night whatever you do .

supersavershal

I loved NYE as a child.Im working this New year but we usually dress up, have a buffett for tea the grown ups have champagne and the children have pop, at midnight a dark haired person goes out the back door with a piece of coal and bread and salt and comes in the front door, this is to bring the new years good luck in the coal to make sure you have warmth and the bread and salt to make sure you have food.We then gather on the front common to wish all our neighbours happy new year and we listen to the foghorns from the boats on the mersey.I will be sad to miss it this year.