New Year's: Traditions, Food & Song, Resolutions
NEW YEAR TRADITIONS
Traditions of the season include the making of New Year's resolutions. That tradition also dates back to the early Babylonians. Popular modern resolutions might include the promise to lose weight or quit smoking. The early Babylonian's most popular resolution was to return borrowed farm equipment.
FOR LUCK IN THE NEW YEAR
Traditionally, it was thought that one could affect the luck they would have throughout the coming year by what they did or ate on the first day of the year. For that reason, it has become common for folks to celebrate the first few minutes of a brand new year in the company of family and friends. Parties often last into the middle of the night after the ringing in of a new year (you don't say). It was once believed that the first visitor on New Year's Day would bring either good luck or bad luck the rest of the year. It was particularly lucky if that visitor happened to be a tall dark-haired man.
Traditional New Year foods are also thought to bring luck. Many cultures believe that anything in the shape of a ring is good luck, because it symbolizes "coming full circle," completing a year's cycle. For that reason, the Dutch believe that eating donuts on New Year's Day will bring good fortune. Many parts of the U.S. celebrate the new year by consuming black-eyed peas. These legumes are typically accompanied by either hog jowls or ham. Black-eyed peas and other legumes have been considered good luck in many cultures. The hog, and thus its meat, is considered lucky because it symbolizes prosperity. Cabbage is another "good luck" vegetable that is consumed on New Year's Day by many. Cabbage leaves are also considered a sign of prosperity, being representative of paper currency. In some regions, rice is a lucky food that is eaten on New Year's Day.
AULD LANG SYNE
The song, "Auld Lang Syne," playing in the background, is sung at the stroke of midnight in almost every English-speaking country in the world to bring in the new year. At least partially written by Robert Burns in the 1700's, it was first published in 1796 after Burns' death. Early variations of the song were sung prior to 1700 and inspired Burns to produce the modern rendition. An old Scotch tune, "Auld Lang Syne" literally means "old long ago," or simply, "the good old days."
Auld Lang Syne Lyrics
Should auld acquaintance be forgot and never brought to mind?
Should auld acquaintance be forgot and days of auld lang syne?
For auld lang syne, my dear, for auld lang syne,
we'll take a cup of kindness yet, for auld lang syne.
Should auld acquaintance be forgot and never brought to mind?
Should auld acquaintance be forgot and days of auld lang syne?
And here's a hand, my trusty friend And gie's a hand o' thine
We'll tak' a cup o' kindness yet For auld lang syne
New Year's: Traditions, Food & Song, Resolutions
Most popular New Year's resolutions:
- Lose Weight
- Managing Debt
- Save Money
- Get a Better Job
- Get Fit
- Eat Right
- Get a Better Education
- Drink Less Alcohol
- Quit Smoking Now
- Reduce Stress Overall
- Reduce Stress at Work
- Take a Trip
- Volunteer to Help Others
Lori Cain is a residential Realtor with Chinowth & Cohen Realtors serving the greater Tulsa Oklahoma area, including midtown Tulsa, Owasso, Broken Arrow, Bixby, Sand Springs and Jenks. Please visit Lori’s web site, LoriCain.com or call 918-852-5036.
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Lori is a residential Realtor with Chinowth & Cohen Realtors serving the greater Tulsa area and specializing in downtown Tulsa and midtown Tulsa real estate.
Lori, thank you for a wonderful read! Very interesting. Returning farm equipment would be easier than many of the resolutions commonly made today, wouldn't it?
Lori,
This is a great post.. yesterday on my facebook I asked the question about what people do for New Years.. and the legumes... came up... I had been working on a post with the left over Ham from Christmas and did a bean soup... again I put it on facebook and then I got all kinds of cornbread recipes... and so... from your post I am off to slide.com to create the bean soup and cornbread post!
Thanks Lori and Happy New Year to you! I look forward to learning more together in 2010!
Lori, this should be a featured post. Great job, and thank you for the memory of my Mother's black eyed peas with hog jowls. I have had to explain to younger people what a hog jowl is. I guess jowl is not a Gen Y word.
Hello all. Actually, I ALSO read that in Turkey and many areas of the Mediterranean, pomegranate is eaten, so we're covering all the bases today: cabbage, black eyed peas, and now pomegrante!
Maria - depends on how much you need that farm equipment! Carra - post your slide show when you're done! Joe - did you get more snow?
Definitely looking forward to learning more together in 2010!