Well, WeeBox Clan, the end of 2020 is finally here and it’s been a year like no other that’s for sure.
What better way to say goodbye to 2020 and hello to a fresh start than with a traditional Scottish Hogmanay at home!
With New Year’s Eve just around the corner, let us take you on a journey to create your own Scottish Hogmanay with ancient traditions and the help of our carefully curated December ‘Scottish Winter Wonderland’ WeeBox gifts. So join us in a countdown to midnight as we guide you through a braw Scottish Hogmanay.
Getting ‘yer hoose’ in order for Hogmanay
First things first, we need to prepare the house for a brand new year. Scottish tradition goes that before the celebrations can begin, your house must be sparkling from top to toe to create a clean state for the year ahead.
When your house is bonnie and bright, you can prepare it for your Hogmanay hootenanny. Lay your table with trimmings of tartan, display good Scottish tidings like your “lang may yer lum reek’ plaque, decant your finest whisky and prepare your feast.
‘Lang may yer lum reek’ is one of our most beloved sayings and is still used today. It means ‘long may your chimney smoke’ and is a way to wish someone a long and healthy life … the perfect sentiment for 2021. It’s also time to take down your 2020 calendars and replace them with your WeeBox 2021 calendar, we hope you can fill it with days of happiness!
Hogmanay Hootenanny
Now that your home is prepared, there is only one more thing to do before we’re ready for the new year – celebrate!
In the hours before midnight, there are many things that Scots love to do to say goodbye to the last year. As well as Scottish food and drink, there is often a rousing ceilidh dance (pronounced kay-lee) which gets you in the party spirit!
Many travel from all over the world to experience the famous Edinburgh Hogmanay street party. Sadly cancelled this year, but for the first time ever, it’s going online! So, kick off your Hogmanay celebrations at home with this 3 night series. You can Get Involved Here 👉 www.edinburghshogmanay.com
Before you know it, the countdown will be on to midnight. When your bonnie Scott Innes thistle clock, inside the December WeeBox, strikes midnight we call that ‘bringing in the bells’.
It’s time for a classic rendition of ‘Auld Lang Syne’. All across Scotland and indeed the world, you will hear the words of our beloved Robert Burns ‘Auld Lang Syne’ echo as we sing of times passed which should not be forgotten.
After midnight, it would traditionally be time for what might be the most widely practiced Scottish Hogmanay ritual – first footing. Harking back to Viking times, first footing is visiting the house of a neighbour or loved one, being the first to cross the threshold in the new year. According to custom, the first person to visit is an indication of the year to come and are always treated with traditional Scottish hospitality.
Everyone is welcome – as long as they bring a gift. A traditional gift could be coal – to bring warmth – or salt for health. Another common gift is Scottish shortbread, just like the delicious ‘first footing’ shortbread in your December WeeBox. This year we know there will be less visiting, so why not wrap up warm in your Scottish beanie, head out and enjoy the air of a new year and come back to enjoy a wee bit of your shortbread – be your own first footer!
We hope you enjoy your Scottish hogmanay celebrations, WeeBox Clan! Thank you so much for letting us be a part of them! We just love sharing wee bits of Scottish happiness with you every month and we can’t wait to share all the surprises we have in store for 2021.
Lang may yer lum reek WeeBox Clan! X
