Happy New Year! What’s on your table? If your family heritage is German, the traditional feast is pork roast, sauerkraut and potatoes — delicious, but very beige. If you’re Persian, did you exchange eggs with anyone? If you’re from Scotland, did you sing “Auld Lang Syne” last night, and “drink a cup”
Every culture has traditions revolving around the Dec. 31 to Jan. 1 calendar switch, save folks in the Asiatic countries who celebrate the New Year on the first new moon, whatever day that may be.
In ancient days, the custom of “ringing out the old year,” was accompanied by boon fires over the country — literally, to burn out the old year. Some Celtic villages extended the tradition to lighting fires in every room in the house — literally “smoking out” the possibility of harm (yes, the poor cows, sheep and horses would be subjected to this).
Originally, in the British isles, New Year’s was known as “Hogmanay.” The custom was that poor children wore cloth instead of clothing, and swaddled themselves so that a large pocket was in the front. They would then wander the wealthier parts of the town crying “Hogmanay.” Kind people gave a slice of bread, hunk of cheese, or an oat cake and by the end of a jaunt, a family had enough good food for a week.
Customs of the Old World
An ancient Macedonian custom involves a pair of leaves from an olive tree, to represent a romantic pair. Next, a hot cinder is put upon the leaves. If they curl towards one another, the marriage will be successful; if the leaves separate, the marriage will not take place. But if the leaves move toward each other, then flare up, the interpretation is that the marriage will be successful — but stormy.
For Sophia X. Bogdasarian of Fitchburg, who is Greek, “Vasilopita Cake” is on the menu. “You hide a coin in it, cut it a special way, and whoever gets the coin has good luck for the next year,” she explains.
One year when we lived in St. Louis, a neighbor was in the habit of “tin throwing,” at this time of year. Tin would be melted in a cauldron, and then each guest would scoop up a ladle of molten metal and hurl it into a cauldron of cool water. These shapes would be interpreted — and the tin saved for the year, and then re-melted on the following New Year’s Eve. I remember that my husband and I had vastly different tin shapes — both indicating travel (we did return to New England).
New World customs
“Ringing out” the old year was a custom that our neighbor in Lunenburg, Ida “Gram” Ellis did, and when she was at our house babysitting my brother Hal and I, it was a long night, but always exciting to stay up late, watch the kitchen clock tick towards midnight, and then hurl open the door yelling “Happy New Year!” while ringing every bell we had in the house.
Many residents reported that New Year’s Eve was a time for take-out — everything from Chinese to Outback, but New Year’s Day was best with home-cooking from one’s heritage. Aimee St. Jean explains that Acadian poutines are “A family tradition, and labor of love that we all look forward to each year- honestly, my favorite day of the year.”
For Becky Colwell, whose father came from Scotland, “First Footing” was practiced in the New World. The tradition was that the first person to cross the threshold should be a black-haired male (women were considered bad luck — fie!). The New England version meant that “when you went to someone’s house on New Year’s Day you never went empty handed. It would bring them bad luck throughout the year.”
Five-minute snack prep
And, of course you want to be prepared for those unexpected guests! You can’t go wrong by always stocking the following items. If you have these items in your fridge and pantry, you’ll be prepared for any guests dropping by:
Pepper jam appetizer
• Cream cheese
• Pepper jam
• Ritz (or other salty, buttery cracker)
Top cracker with cheese, add a dollop of pepper jam
Easy fruit
• Green grapes
Cut into small bunches, distribute on a plate.
Cheese and crackers
• Gouda, Swiss, Cheddar cheese
• Honeycrisp apple
• Crackers (thick and wheaty, small and crispy, or the classic “Soda” cracker)
Cut a dozen of each kind of cheese into one-inch slices, store in a plastic bag in the fridge. Put at least six squares on a plate per unexpected guest, and chat while you slice the apples.
Sally Cragin would love to read your family recipes and stories. Next week’s theme: what artists and writers eat and drink while creating. Write to: [email protected]
