Tomorrow is New Year's eve. I don't really have time for dwelling on the thankless (12-hour) job of restoring some as semblance of order to my home, by packing away countless tubs of holiday decorations, lugged out once a year for what amounts to - in our case - 21 days, or should I say... 500 hours. Phew! But, who's bitter?
Onward and upward. Tomorrow is New Year's Eve and people around the world will be celebrating the start of a new year. Interestingly enough, while the idea of ringing in the new year is universal, the ways in which people do it is not. Here's what I mean...
Netherlands: Right after midnight, people in the Netherlands dive into freezing water to take a New Year's Swim. It is meant to bring good luck and health (of all things).
Greece: Greeks bake a St. Basil's Cake, baking into it a silver or gold coin. Whoever finds the coin is said to be especially lucky in the new year.
Dominican Republic: Cleaning is the name of the game in the Dominican Republic. People do a thorough cleaning of their homes before the new year and assure that all brooms and brushes are safely put away. No sweeping is permitted on New Year's Day, as it is believed you could sweep away the good things along with the bad.
Hungary: Hungarians burn straw replicas of a figure called Jack Straw. He is said to be the embodiment of the evil and misfortune of the past year.
Scotland: This might be one of my favorites. Shortly after midnight, people pay neighbors visits - called, "First Footing." Typically visitors present one another with coal or shortbread. You are considered especially lucky if a tall, dark, and handsome man is first to enter your your home in the new year.
Japan: At midnight in Japan, temples strike their gongs 108 times in an effort to expel the 108 types of human weakness. I'm not sure what the 108 weaknesses are, but I'm wondering if we could ring a bell 218 times in celebration of our 218 virtues?!?!
Spain: It is said Spanish people eat 12 grapes to secure 12 happy months in the coming year.
Beeny's: I realize we're not a country (though sometimes the goings-on in our house can seem somewhat foreign) , but still I thought it would be fun to share the one thing we seem to have done every year since 2000, when Richard and I rung in our first new year together. We got married in November of 1999 and spent our first Christmas in New York visiting my family. Our flight was to return home on New Year's Eve Day. Earlier in the week we were walking through the city and noticed vendors selling party glasses made in the shape of 2000. We bought a pair... and then I had an idea.
Wouldn't it be great to document each New Year's Eve, and what we did, by having our photo taken while sporting a pair of that year's glasses? The pairs of glasses we've needed to purchase each year has grown, as our family has gotten bigger, but it is always fun to put them on and pose for our annual New Year's Picture. Some years have been fun, spent with friends at a comedy club or out at dinner. Others have been more low key, with just our immediate family at home and asleep by 12:01. And still, others have been so quiet we needed to take our picture using the self-timing feature on our camera.
I'm always sure to take a few minutes to write a short paragraph summarizing what we did, as it is amazing how much can be forgotten in just a single year. The added fun to this is that Richard and I sealed a time capsule at our wedding. It is our intention to host a large party on our 25th wedding anniversary, in 2024. I fully expect to create a great display of all our New Year's photos for the party. It will be a great (and visual) stroll down memory lane.
Here's a preview of what's to come, but I'll post the official picture on Thursday morning.
How about you? Do you and your family have any New Year's traditions or rituals? Tell us about them.
Signing off until tomorrow...
P.S. If you are like I am and have no real knowledge of what the traditional New Year's song, "Auld Lang Syne" means, then take a second and find out. It's interesting and maybe this year you'll actually sing the correct words! http://enwikipedia.org/wiki/Auld_Lang_Syne
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11 comments:
Interestingly enough, my New Years Eves have been as varied as the years themselves.
While nothing really jumps out at me as a tradition that we do to celebrate New Years Eve, per say; New Years Eve is my Dad's birthday. So, no matter where we all are, or who we're celebrating with, we do celebrate Dad's birthday.
Not only do I not know what the song means, but I can't EVER pronounce that phrase right!!!
Spending today in a few airports ... I'll probably not check back in until New Year's evening!
HAPPY NEW YEAR'S!!!
Love the picture... your house must truly be filled with fun and laughter, and you Claudia, at times must be exhausted.
I must admit it was much more fun to do 'crazy' fun stuff when the kids were little, as they have aged... the excitement for balloons or funky decor is just something that used to be.
Oh, don't get me wrong, I still try... but when they get up from the table and go back to their business (computer, cell phone, video games, tv) it's hard to enjoy things alone in the kitchen.
We had a great Y2K New Year, at a friends house in TN.... lots of little people around under the age of 5... some struggling to stay awake... and at the strike of Midnight... the power went out! We thought it was the end of the world... not some joker playing with the fuse box!
I've had the privilege to take part of the Beeny party glasses picture tradition. We have some wonderful photos from the New Years Eve celebration that we shared. We have pictures up on the wall of foam in our house. I personally like the one of Richard/Matt musical interlude later in the evening.
This year, like the past couple, a group of neighbors will be getting together. Usually there are some great stories that we all remember - some little more than others.
I hope that everyone has a safe New Years Eve celebration and a happy and healthy 2009.
*****PARTY POOPER ALERT*****
After years of high expectations and huge disappointments, I finally got to the point where I just treat it as any other night.
I can remember a couple of years in college where I spent the night at home sick with strep throat.
One particularly special New Year's Eve, I was the designated driver. That was fun. Four girls went out to the dance. Two girls had "boyfriends" and the other and I did not. Funny- the two "boyfriends" were hitting on the "not-girlfriends".
Yeah, good times.
So, it's just another night to me with a day off from work afterwards. I don't attempt to let my kids stay up until midnight. I don't have any traditions. Last year I was tucked up in bed and some lovely neighbor set off fireworks. I was a little grumpy about that. Okay- a lot grumpy.
Okay, on a positive note- I looked up Auld Lang Syne. The days that have gone by have been very good this year. I've reconnected with some old friends. I've consoled friends that have lost loved ones. I've managed to keep my job. My debt is limited~ always a good thing. We're all reasonably healthy in my household. But, best of all I've met some wonderful friends this year and most of them are right here on this blog! To that, I will say, "Cheers!" :)
Hey HLA...I've been MIA for what seems weeks, but I'm back and all caught up with posts from the past 2 weeks or so. The holidays have kept me busy and away from the internet.
I did not submit an entry for the snack throwdown. I was baking cookies for days and making one more thing was NOT on my to-do list. Are we sending something again this week? Are we using this week's ingredient or ours from last week (what was it again)?
New Years Eve has been spent with Treye's fraternity brothers in Cleveland for the past 5 years. This year, myself, Treye and two of his brothers are going to celebrate at the bars in Erie.
JULIE - don't forget our New Year's Eve in Canada ;) Who WERE those guys?!
Happy New Year to all. I also hope you had a great Christmas and enjoyed time with your family and friends...I know I sure did :)
Richard may be a good looking man, but too bad he isn't Scottish and tall :)
I am ready for these holidays to be over. I'm missing everyone!
Tera - LOL :) :) I don't know now any more than I knew then!
Cheryl... I agree. All of our regulars and many of our frequent posters are MIA. At least Tera paid us a visit today.
Kelly Montana, Stacy, Michelle, Lindsay, Laura, Mary Beth, Melanie, Brian, Kat... where are you and all your compadres?
I'm here but in a hotel with spotty internet...I'll be back next week.
I'm here...
I don't have any new year's traditions. I was raised in a home in which New Year's was not a big, lavish holiday.
Now, I just try to make it a point to spend time with friends, family, or coworkers.
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