First Footing is NOT a lost tradition!

originally posted 12.31.10

As midnight looms Auld Lang Syne, credited to Scottish poet Robert Burns, is sung by all. The song, with its universal appeal, has been adopted by people around the world as a way to bid a fond farewell to the old and welcome the new with open arms. Kiss your friends, hug strangers, and shake the hand of your enemy, all while sharing toasts with whisky.

And now the real party begins with first-footing!

First-footing takes place in Scotland and by some in northern England - we do it where my cutie comes from. It's a custom that has been around for a long time. Roots to this tradition go asfar back as the Viking invasions and have changed little. How it works is that the first person to enter a home after midnight has passed, should be male with dark hair and carrying tokens cementing good luck for the residents. A lump of coal, whisky and an oat cake are the most common gifts to offer and in return, uisge beatha, water of life (whisky), and food are shared, and then leave by the back door.

Sound fun? It is because throughout the night, as long as the chilled limbs can move, and one more dram can be shared, first-footing continues, house to house, party to party.

Have a good and safe holiday!

Here comes 2012...

and enjoy the adventure a new year offers!

Hello 2011!

I'm choosing to greet the new year by sharing with you a few pics from a fabulous calendar and it just so happens to embrace two of my personal favorites - fashion and Ancient Greek Mythology!

The Pirelli Calendar was shot by Karl Lagerfeld, fashion icon, and he just so happened to have done a wonderful job.  To make the calendar even better, Lagerfeld focused the monthly pictures on and around Greek Mythology!

Now that is beyond words for me to express how exciting it would be to own this calendar.  I can't, but I can share a couple pics with you that I found at WWD, and we can all bask in the glory that will be 2011.

I suppose you want to know who that is [to the right] playing Apollo.  He's a Frenchman, model named Baptiste Giabiconi and I think this is a pretty fabulous picture of him.  Oh, and the codpiece, well, yeah, it's also spectacular!

You can read more about the shoot, brrr, and check out more of the pics, they are so cool.

And, with my love for the Ancient Greeks in mind, I'll share something else with you.  I'm in the midst of finishing my 5th tale in the Mythological Messes Redux series. Put a satyr together with a nymph and the loving is going to be wild.

Here's one more pic because I can't resist.  This is Erin Wasson, an American model, as Ajax.  So cool!

First Foot Your Way Into a New Year

As midnight looms Auld Lang Syne, credited to Scottish poet Robert Burns, is sung by all. The song, with its universal appeal, has been adopted by people around the world as a way to bid a fond farewell to the old and welcome the new with open arms. Kiss your friends, hug strangers, and shake the hand of your enemy, all while sharing toasts with whisky.

And now the real party begins with first-footing!

First-footing takes place in Scotland and by some in northern England - we do it where my cutie comes from. It's a custom that has been around for a long time. Roots to this tradition go asfar back as the Viking invasions and have changed little. How it works is that the first person to enter a home after midnight has passed, should be male with dark hair and carrying tokens cementing good luck for the residents. A lump of coal, whisky and an oat cake are the most common gifts to offer and in return, uisge beatha, water of life (whisky), and food are shared, and then leave by the back door.

Sound fun? It is because throughout the night, as long as the chilled limbs can move, and one more dram can be shared, first-footing continues, house to house, party to party.

So, how about you?

Do you or your family have any traditions attached to New Years that have been going on for donkey's years?

Have a good and safe holiday!

Happy New Year!

May 2010 be a year full of surprises and great joy!