New Year Celebration in UK
As we hurtle towards the festive season it is rather nice knowing a New Year is around the corner too. A chance to make new starts and look forward with fresh enthusiasm of the coming year. It’s also rather good to say good riddance to the previous year if it’s been a troublesome one.
New Year’s Eve and New Year’s Day come with their own little heap of traditions, some still celebrated and some well forgotten. First it’s traditional to stay up to see the old year out and the new one in. Normally with a party of some sort, bottles of fizz and lot of cheering at the stroke of midnight. The traditional song that is sung, or rather attempted to be sung as not many know all the words, is Auld Lang Syne.
A custom I have never done but think I may start is to open the door to the house at the last stroke of midnight on New Year’s Eve to let out the old year and let the new one come in.
Though I don’t think I will be taking up the old custom of First Footing. It’s a custom that has long died out but was supposed to bring good luck to people in the coming year. Soon as the midnight chimes have finished people would wait behind their door for their first visitor. Preferably a dark haired person and for them to be carrying a piece of coal, piece of bread, some money and some greenery. Each represented good things for the coming year like heat, food, wealth and long life. They would then leave with a pan of ashes or dust to signify the old year leaving. There are other versions of this like the visitor should bring water and the greenery to be mistletoe and it was also considered bad luck if the first footing visitor was a woman, a blonde or a redhead.
New Year’s Day traditionally sees the start of New Year’s resolutions. Promises of new things to try, things to start or bad things to give up. More diets and gym memberships are started in the beginning of the year than any other time of the year. The tradition of giving New Year’s Day gifts is less followed with Christmas Day falling a few days before. I rather like the idea of giving a small but inspiring or positive present on New Year’s Day. I may attempt to start this one in my family.
I think out of all the traditions still celebrated the main one these days is a good old party on New Year’s Eve. But where are the best ones to join if a pint at your local pub isn’t doing it for you?
Think the most famous in the UK is Hogmanay, Edinburgh. Edinburgh has it all for the celebrations of the New Year. Old gothic architecture lit with thousands of sparkly lights. Also a three day street party that has some of the best international music acts. It has been voted the number one place to celebrate New Year’s Eve by many magazines and newspapers.
There is of course our own capital London. Most people gather on London’s South Bank. The restaurants and pubs that face the Thames are full with people and festive cheer. At midnight approaches everyone makes their way to Big Ben for the countdown to midnight and the start of one of the biggest ever firework display in the UK.
If you want a tradition there is the fire festival in Northumberland. A little town of Allendale hosts the yearly traditional fire festival. The local men or ‘guisers’ march towards a ceremonial bonfire carrying whiskey barrels filled with burning tar. Dressed in Pagan costumes and chanting “Be damned to he who throws last” and then they all throw the barrels into the bonfire. It’s loud, ablaze and the whole town gets involved.
New to the list and becoming a hit especially with the young, Fancy-dress in Newquay, Cornwall. Normally known for its surfing and beaches and summer holidays, Newquay is now also known for its festive nightlife. Everyone, and I mean everyone, dresses up in fancy dress of some sort and parties in the local pubs, clubs and restaurants. As the magical hour of midnight approaches everyone gathers at the Central Square to sing in the New Year with a firework show. This is then followed with the crowds being hosed with ‘snow’ from a local bar. It’s a very loud, very boisterous and a sight you will only see once a year.