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Post Info TOPIC: Happy New Year!


Guru

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Happy New Year!
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Bliadhna Mhath Ur!

Happy New Year!

In keeping with Gaelic tradition

 

“rud a dh’itheas tu, rud a dh’òlas tu is rud a chumas tu blàth”

“something to eat, something to drink and something to keep you warm”

 

As Americans, Christmas has become for us a huge elaborate commercial event, starting earlier each year and lasting for months with lots of lights, displays and presents.  Contrast this with Scotland where traditionally Christmas has been a simple religious ceremony centered around Midnight Mass – without the commercialism and ritual gift-giving.  The Presbyterian Church in Scotland in the past to regarded Christmas as a Catholic feast.  As a result Christmas was not traditionally celebrated in Scotland because it was banned for nearly 400 years until the 1950's. There are records of charges being brought against people for keeping "Yule" as it is called in Scotland.

 

New Year’s or Hogmanay was and still is the large traditional winter holiday for Scots. Until the 1960s, Hogmanay or “Ne'erday” (a contraction of "New Year's Day" in Scots) in Scotland took precedence over Christmas Eve and Christmas Day.  Christmas Day was a normal working day (unless it fell on the Sabbath) in Scotland until the 1960s. The gift-giving, public holidays and feasting associated with mid-winter were held between the 31st of December and the 2nd of January rather than between the 24th and 26th of December.  So if there is a specifically "Scottish" aspect to Christmas it is that it was not celebrated!

 

Hogmanay is the Scots word for the celebration of the New Year in the Scottish manner. Its official date is the 31st of December. However this is normally only the start of a celebration which lasts through the night until the morning of the 1st or, in many cases, the 2nd of January.


The most widespread Scottish Hogmanay custom is the practice of first-footing which starts immediately after midnight Dec 31st. This involves being the first person to cross the threshold on the new year of a friend or neighbor and often involves the giving of symbolic gifts. This may go on throughout the early hours of the morning and well into the next day. The first-foot is supposed to set the luck for the rest of the year, so it is important that a suitable person does the job. A tall, dark man bearing a gift is preferred.
In Scottish folklore the first-foot, is the first person to cross the threshold of a home on New Year's Day and a bringer of good fortune for the coming year. The first-foot usually brings several gifts, including perhaps a coin, bread, salt, coal, or a drink (usually whisky), which represent financial prosperity, food, flavor, warmth, and good cheer.



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George Young
CLSNA Senior VP
Seanair agus Seannachie

http://www.lamont-young.com/lamont/
Clan Lamont Society -  both Scotland & USA


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Bliadhna Mhath Ur! To my entire CLSNA. May 2011 bring you peace and happiness.


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RLTW 9-87


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Here's a poem I've written for all my clan friends


OLD YEAR SAID

And old year said…

 

“Stand on my shoulders,

my good new year friend.

 

New horizons  await you

where my vision ends.”

 

“I am looking now,”

young new year replied,

 

“and see greater glory

than met thine own eye.”

 

“Then seize on that sight

and never retreat!”

 

And old year went

silent unto

 

a sweet sleep.



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Guru

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very nice Paul

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George Young
CLSNA Senior VP
Seanair agus Seannachie

http://www.lamont-young.com/lamont/
Clan Lamont Society -  both Scotland & USA


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Happy New Year!

We spent part of the time listening to Celtic Music Radio online (www.celticmusicradion.net) from Glasgow during their celebrations.

Then, somehow, we managed to stay up for the new year.   confusewink

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Rick

The paintings, poetry and music
Are all merely water drawn from the well of mankind
And must be returned to him in a cup of beauty
So he may drink
And in drinking, come to know himself.
--Lorca


Michigan State Commissioner - CLSNA

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A very happy new year to everyone from our ever expanding family. 

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Regards, Jim Rapin
Regional Vice-President, NE


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Happy New Year to everyone !

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Jim Lovelace
CLSNA Director - SE Region
Georgia, Alabama & Tennessee Area Commissioner - CLSNA
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