New Year's Traditions

sashacat421 · Dec 31, 2005

Up north here, the Polar Bear Swim is the most watched, our water temps hover around 32 degrees, so it's a real challenge!

As for me, my great and good Native American friend of many years taught me that when you wake, you must step outside to feel the wind change in the New Year. You must check the direction the wind is blowing: if it blows into your body, that a change for the good is coming; if it blows from behind you - watch your back - an obstacle is coming; and if the wind blows from either side, your year will pretty much remain the same as past.

This wind blew into my face this morning.

chester&piper · Dec 31, 2005

Ahhhh the Polar Bear Swim.

Glad to see us Nova Scotians aren't the only crazy people out there who do this! (not that I take part ~ I'm not that insane! LOL)

dawnofsierra · Dec 31, 2005

These are so great!

I had never heard of lining coins along your windowsill. This will be the answer to all my money problems!

That's very interesting, Tricia, interpreting the design of melted lead in a glass of water, and the New Year's Pretzel sounds yummy!

Happy Gotcha Day, Mittens and Candy!

Polar Bear Swim, oh my!

Dan, we should have come to celebrate with you this year!

That's wonderful, Eddie, thank you for that one!

beckiboo · Dec 31, 2005

We usually just stay home, and like to watch the ball in Times Square (New Yrok) fall, on television. Growing up, we ALWAYS had black eyed peas, too. But I'm the only one in my family who really likes them, so it isn't really worth cooking a whole crockpot full unless I'm really in the mood!

Elizabeth, that Native American tradition is very cool! I'll stay away from the sauerkraut, though (ugh)!

We got the kids a dance pad with Dance Dance Revolution Karaoke. I think our new tradition will be to stay up all night singing and dancing! It is totally fun, whether you have kids or not, I highly recommend it.

beach bum · Dec 31, 2005

I'm somewhat surprised to see black-eyed peas are also a New Year's tradition with a couple of you Yankees. I had reckoned that this tradition was largely confined to the southern US. The tale in Jim's southern family (I am a Yankee, myself) is that this tradition originated in the Confederacy during the latter days of our Civil War.

When General Sherman and his Yankee troops were marching through the South, burning all they encountered, and living off the land (which translates as confiscating the residents' foodstuffs), they encountered these little brown peas with black eyes, and, not knowing what they were, as well as appearing unappetizing, they left them untouched. Many southern families living in the devastated areas through which the Yankees marched avoided starvation and owed their lives to their being able to live off black-eyed peas for months at a time, and thereafter on the first of each year they paid homage to the little black-eyed pea.

Or so they say....

stormy · Dec 31, 2005

When I was little we used to hurry and open the front and back door at midnight. So the new year could come in and the old one could go out.

I think that's about it, unless I'm forgetting something!

gemlady · Dec 31, 2005

The food we always had for luck and money included cabbage - in slaw, saurkraut, in a dish called halushka (not all that sure of the spelling), or just plain boiled. We also have black eyed peas.

pjk5900 · Dec 31, 2005

Originally Posted by huggles

here the tradition is to get drunk

I knew I liked you for a reason!!

Your S.S.

MoochNNoodles · Dec 31, 2005

Originally Posted by blondiecat

Yep same here. Black-eyed peas here too. Also don't wash any clothes on the 1st cause that will wash someone out of the family.

I better go throw my DH's socks in the wash real quick then! He's out of em!

halfpint · Dec 31, 2005

Not really a Tradition, I just fix Lobster and Steak: yummy: and we just stay in and relax, plus it's raining here

I hate the rain hate hate hate it, it's bad enough driving here in clear weather here with all the traffic,

let alone in the rain with all the drunks out

not good

dawnofsierra · Dec 31, 2005

Thank you for that educational information, Ann!

Karaoke with your children sounds like lots of fun! How wonderful that you found it and have begun a new tradition!

That's a great tradition, Diane! What a smart symbolism!

Sounds as if your traditions are similar to ours, Jan! I had never heard of
halushka.

Great idea to get your laundry done before midnight! I did the very same!

Lobster and steak, what a feast! You're smart to stay in tonight during this yucky weather.

menagerie mama · Dec 31, 2005

Originally Posted by stormy

When I was little we used to hurry and open the front and back door at midnight. So the new year could come in and the old one could go out.

I think that's about it, unless I'm forgetting something!

That's cute!

dawnofsierra · Jan 1, 2006

Well, I enjoyed my 12 grapes at midnights, as well as had my coins lined up on the windowsill, I've eaten my greens and black eyed peas, my house is (somewhat) tidy, no doing laundry today, and the wind blew into my face. This should be the best year ever!

yosemite · Jan 1, 2006

Nothing special here. Just a relaxing day for all of us.

I was going to do laundry but won't take the risk now.

huggles · Jan 1, 2006

Originally Posted by dawnofsierra

Well, I enjoyed my 12 grapes at midnights, as well as had my coins lined up on the windowsill, I've eaten my greens and black eyed peas, my house is (somewhat) tidy, no doing laundry today, and the wind blew into my face. This should be the best year ever!

I did none of these things

huggles · Jan 1, 2006

Originally Posted by huggles

here the tradition is to get drunk

Originally Posted by captiva

Oh my... you Aussies....

you have to admit you didnt expect any less of me did you?

Originally Posted by dawnofsierra

Dan, we should have come to celebrate with you this year!

never to late

menagerie mama · Jan 1, 2006

I put the coins on my windowsill too...am I supposed to leave them there until tomorrow?

I'm the one who posted the idea but I never heard of it before so I don't know...? I forgot to see how the wind was blowing this morning...

But I'm holding off on laundry!

jcat · Jan 1, 2006

Originally Posted by Beach Bum

I'm somewhat surprised to see black-eyed peas are also a New Year's tradition with a couple of you Yankees. I had reckoned that this tradition was largely confined to the southern US. The tale in Jim's southern family (I am a Yankee, myself) is that this tradition originated in the Confederacy during the latter days of our Civil War.

When General Sherman and his Yankee troops were marching through the South, burning all they encountered, and living off the land (which translates as confiscating the residents' foodstuffs), they encountered these little brown peas with black eyes, and, not knowing what they were, as well as appearing unappetizing, they left them untouched. Many southern families living in the devastated areas through which the Yankees marched avoided starvation and owed their lives to their being able to live off black-eyed peas for months at a time, and thereafter on the first of each year they paid homage to the little black-eyed pea.

Or so they say....

That makes sense, Ann, although I have to admit that I can't recall ever eating, or even seeing, black-eyed peas (another Yankee here). I imagine the idea of pigs being lucky, which dates back to the Middle Ages, arose in much the same way. Those who had a pig to slaughter didn't starve. Pretzels supposedly represent a person praying (think of the position your arms and hands are in when you pray), so I suppose that's how the tradition of New Year's pretzels arose. Soft pretzels are a mainstay here, but are eaten with butter, if anything, not mustard (I still gross people out here when I put mustard on them), but the New Year's ones are much bigger and softer than the usual ones.

jazzy · Jan 1, 2006

We usually get A LOT of food and party with my whole family.

wellingtoncats · Jan 1, 2006

Drinking and partying is the norm on this side of the world!

New Year's Traditions

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