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When you think of New Year’s Eve traditions, what do you think of? Probably the countdown to the New Year, watching the ball drop, being at a New Year’s party, or sharing that first New Year’s kiss. Well, we are going to learn about a much different SCOTTISH custom called FIRST FOOTING. Around this custom, you will hear the term HOGMANAY, which is the SCOTS word for the last day of the old year. This tradition is also carried on by many Scots in America, and you can find similar customs in other parts of the world.
Spell: SCOTTISHCUSTOM COUNTDOWN
Today we are talking about New Year’s Eve ____. TRADITIONS
What is the Scottish custom called? FIRST FOOTING
What is the Scot’s word for the last day of the old year? HOGMANAY
What is one of the things I said that you might think of? THE COUNTDOWN TO THE NEW YEAR, WATCHING THE BALL DROP, BEING AT A NEW YEAR’S PARTY, SHARING THAT FIRST NEW YEAR’S KISS
Where else can you find similar customs? IN OTHER PARTS OF THE WORLD
What is your New Year’s tradition?
It is such a huge tradition in Scotland that New Year is celebrated for three days with many festivities taking place. At midnight on New Year, there are large firework displays, and many Scots around the world will celebrate by singing AULD LANG SYNE. This was a song written down by ROBERT BURNS in 1788 to preserve the Scottish language and culture after Scotland and England had formed the UK in 1707. Auld Lang Syne was one of the songs he found when he traveled the country to collect and publish old Scots poems and songs. This song is a bit of spoken history, and the goal was to keep it from being a faded memory. Over the course of the three days, you can attend disco parties, orchestra performances, street parties, balls, and more.
Spell: ENGLAND COURSE WRITTEN
Many ____ take place. FESTIVITIES
What type of display is there at midnight? FIREWORK
Scots around the world will celebrate by singing what song? AULD LANG SYNE
Who wrote down the song? ROBERT BURNS
How many days is New Year’s celebrated? 3 DAYS
In what year did he write down the song? 1788
Why did Robert Burns write down the song? TO PRESERVE THE SCOTTISH LANGUAGE AND CULTURE AFTER SCOTLAND AND ENGLAND HAD FORMED THE UK
How many years ago did England and Scotland form the UK? 2022-1707=315 YEARS AGO
What are some things you can attend over the course of the three days? DISCO PARTIES, ORCHESTRA PERFORMANCES, STREET PARTIES, BALLS
VAKT: Look at the English translation of the song. Does it look familiar?
What familiarity do you have with this song?
If you were in Scotland during Hogmanay, how would you want to celebrate?
This tradition has been around since ancient times. Though some believe it can be traced to when MARY, Queen of Scots, returned to Scotland from France in 1561. Households across SCOTLAND have welcomed certain strangers through their doors with the aim of bringing good Fortune for the year ahead. However, some individuals, like light-haired men, redheads, and women, can be HARBINGERS (omens, forewarnings) of ill fate and misfortune.
Spell: QUEEN HOUSEHOLDS TRACED
This tradition has been around since ___. ANCIENT TIMES
Who was the Queen of Scots? MARY
In what year did she return to Scotland from France? 1561
What was the aim of households across Scotland welcoming certain strangers through their doors? BRINGING GOOD FORTUNE FOR THE YEAR AHEAD
What is a synonym for harbingers? OMENS, FOREWARNINGS
Name an individual that can be a harbinger. LIGHT-HAIRED MEN, REDHEADS, AND WOMEN
What do the harbingers bring? ILL FATE, MISFORTUNE
What are your thoughts about these categories of people being considered harbingers of ill fate and misfortune?
Ideally, you want the first person walking through your door at the start of the new year to be a male with dark hair that is bearing gifts. That is said to date back to the VIKING invasions, as Vikings were typically fairer-haired, so the arrival of a blonde man could have meant IMMINENT danger! Something else to note, having a doctor or minister appear at the door as a first footer is also bad luck – PRESUMABLY (probably, seemingly) due to their association with illness and death.
Spell: INVASIONS BEARING DARK
That is said to date back to the ___ invasions. VIKING
The arrival of a blonde man could have meant ___. IMMINENT DANGER Ideally, you want the first person walking through your door at the start of the new year to be a what? MALE WITH DARK HAIR THAT IS BEARING GIFTS
What is a synonym for presumably? PROBABLY, SEEMINGLY
Why would having a doctor or minister appear at the door as a first footer is also bad luck? PRESUMABLY, DUE TO THEIR ASSOCIATION WITH ILLNESS AND DEATH
What are your thoughts on the doctor or minister’s association with illness and death?
What, if any, superstitions do you believe in?
Traditionally, the first footer (first person to enter) should be someone who was not already in the house when midnight struck – hence the Scottish tradition of having a stranger come through the door. First, footing, which stems from the GAELIC practice of “QUALTAGH,” is not just a past tradition; it is still practiced today. Now, many parties or families will have one guest or family member leave just before the bells strike midnight so they can knock on the door as the new year begins. An interesting fact from some histories of the event is that a kiss from every woman in the house could be claimed by the first footer.
What is the first footer? FIRST PERSON TO ENTER
The first footing stems from the Gaelic practice of ___. QUALTAGH According to some histories of the event, what can be claimed from every woman in the house by the first footer? A KISS
The first footer should be someone who was not what? ALREADY IN THE HOUSE WHEN MIDNIGHT STRUCK
Who will many parties or families have left just before the bells strike midnight? ONE GUEST OR FAMILY MEMBER
Why do they have a guest or family member leave? SO THEY CAN KNOCK ON THE DOOR AS THE NEW YEAR BEGINS
What are your thoughts about the first footer being able to claim a kiss from every woman in the house?
I mentioned that these guests should come bearing gifts. Just what kind of gifts are expected? Traditionally, they would arrive loaded with a coin, bread, salt, a lump of coal, and whisky – gifts representing all the things the new year would hopefully bring, such as prosperity, food, flavor, warmth, and good cheer. Coal can still be given today, as it was in the past, to represent a warm hearth for not only the remaining part of winter but a happy home year-round. Whiskey, food like fruit, and money are also still given.
I mentioned that these guests should come ___. BEARING GIFTS
What is given to represent a warm heart? COAL
What kind of gifts were expected? Name two. COIN, BREAD, SALT, A LUMP OF COAL, WHISKY
What was it hoped that these gifts would bring? PROSPERITY, FOOD, FLAVOR, WARMTH, GOOD CHEER
What gift would you want to receive in the New Year, and what would it mean to you?
In Sweden, the good Fortune first footer is actually supposed to be a light-haired individual. In Greece, a similar custom is called POTHARIKO, where the first person to walk into the house can either bring good or bad luck. This leads the Greeks to be very selective of who is first to enter. Further good luck is ENSURED by the lady of the house serving everyone festive treats. Another similar tradition can be found in Georgia, called MEKVLE, from the word KVALI meaning footprint. Finally, in Serbia, SERBIAN POLAZNIK is observed but practiced on Christmas Day rather than Hogmanay. Many cultures all over the world have traditions and customs that can be similar, while others are completely different.
Spell: FOUND SELECTIVE INDIVIDUAL
What is the custom called in Greece? POTHARIKO
Further good luck is ___ by the lady of the house serving everyone festive treats. ENSURED
What is the tradition in Georgia called? MEKVLE
What does the word Kvali mean? FOOTPRINT
When is Serbian Polaznik observed? CHRISTMAS DAY
What is different about the first footer in Sweden? IT IS SUPPOSED TO BE A LIGHT-HAIRED INDIVIDUAL
In Greece, why are they selective about who is first to enter? THE FIRST PERSON TO WALK INTO THE HOUSE CAN EITHER BRING GOOD OR BAD LUCK IN
What traditions do you have that are similar to these?
What traditions do you have that are completely different from these?
Creative writing:
Create your own holiday custom and explain the customs and practices that would occur.
Source:
https://www.bbc.co.uk/newsround/38477036
https://www.visitscotland.com/things-to-do/events/christmas-winter-festivals
