New Years Eve
So … do you have a family tradition for New Years Eve?
I don’t. Though I love the idea. I get up early so I do not stay up late but I like the idea of the New Year being celebrated. The freshness of it. The promise. And we all need a new start – right? Another chance.
At home in New Zealand – it is beach time – New Years is a summer celebration and for the life of me I cannot remember my parents celebrating it at all. But I love the new-ness of a New Year. The forgiveness. The pass. The Great Cosmos smiling through a dusty sunbeam and saying – you are OK, you did your best, now let me see you do better. Do you want to do better? If you want to do better – I am with you.
In New Zealand we begin the new school year in February. So it is ALL new. Exercise books, teachers, Life. So I want to have a spring clean at the end of December. 
Move those cobwebs along. But here on the prairies of Illinois it is a spring clean in winter. A New Year makes me want to clean out all the old, the detritus, the faded and superfluous. I want to open all the windows and flush out all the old smells. Which is a little uncomfortable when we have only climbed to just above freezing by the end of the day. But I do it anyway. Bring on that winter air!
Or you will get this! By morning this condensation will be frozen solid. On the inside!
Elsie is wondering whether she has to be on a diet too. Maybe I can palm her a flake or two of good hay when Queenie is not watching? But Queenie, like all good bullies, is always watching.
I made two batches of soap yesterday. One is the Ugly Soap with ground coffee, lemongrass oil (from the farm) and steel cut oats – for my daughter. The other made with Rose Essence for me. All my soaps are three parts meadow raised lard – one part olive oil.
I hope you have a lovely day.
Tell me a little of your New Years traditions if you have time. I love traditions. I want one.
your friend on the farmy,
celi
91 Comments on “New Years Eve”
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Do you have a post about your soap recipe?
I consider myself to still be learning, but maybe one day I will post the process and my references.. I will be making another batch shortly.. my most important recipe making tool is the lye calculator.. http://www.brambleberry.com/Pages/Lye-Calculator.aspx..
No traditions here, sorry. Have a wonderful 2015!
You too Debra! c
Your soap looks good enough to eat!
Jock being a rabid Scot should celebrate New Year’s Eve (Sain Sylvestre here) by getting drunk and first footing all the neighbours carying a lump of coal and a bottle of whisky, but real life intervenes, and for the last many years, we just go to bed at the usual time. We shall celebrate the arrival of 2015 tomorrow, with lunch chez our friends Agnes, Stephane and the lovely Constance (6)
The gravel on the North side of the house is solid white with frost, and on the South side the washing is drying nicely in the bright sunshine. Jock is scared to take the new car out on the icy road, so we shall walk this afternoon!
Love,
ViVx
My soap has set beautifully, in a couple of hours i will cut it and set it out to cure.. I love the cutting! Sun on the washing sounds good! careful walking on the icy roads though.. wonderful that you finally have your new car.. c
we always ate pork and something cabbage related on new yrs.nothing poultry related allowed.
pork is allowed , because pigs root forward as they eat,forward is good
not allowed chicken because they scratch area, then step back to eat.
do not want to go backwards
and we burn all 2014 calenders at midnite so bad luck not follow into new yr.
but as i get older, burning takes place earlier in day, and i fast asleep by midnite
Well I certainly have pork!! I will happily burn this calendar too.. and hang up my new one!.. have a great evening ron.. c
We watch A LOT of football this time of year college and professional. Like you, I like to get organized and clean up after all the holidays. No resolutions just resetting some habits.
Resetting the good habits, that makes sense! Thank you candy.. c
We always have poached cod fillet with fiery mustard sauce, and new potatoes. It’s a Danish thing that Peder’s family always did. We carry on the tradition. And it must be fresh cod – not frozen and pumped full of water for added weight. A very happy new year to you, c, and to all my farmy friends.
Sounds great… no fresh cod out here for me on the prairies though. (cod goes on and off the endangered list I think – having grown up with fishermen I have always felt sad for the fish) Happy New Year to you all!/.. c
Since my children were small it has always been a not-so-healthful-food fest for dinner…pizza, chips and the like, fizzy juice and champagne…definitely staying home-no midnight revelry in a loud bar or party. Now that the kiddies have moved on, and I can’t stay awake past 9 PM it will still be a pizza dinner, maybe a bottle of craft beer and off to bed before the neighbors start their rockets and celebrations at midnight.
I would love to be on your farm tonight, all quiet and snuggled in some hay with only the sounds of the animals for excitement…
Happy New Year Miss C!
Pizza! Damn this diet i am on.. that sounds delish.. c
No real traditions here but we have a few friends and neighbours who don’t have TV, so they are coming over on the first this year to watch the Mizzou game in the afternoon. I don’t watch football, but I enjoy visiting with our friends. Headed to friend’s house this evening with my 18-year-old son -we’ll probably ring in the New Year – might need to catch a nap before I go! 😉 No drinking at their house, but i’ll probably raise a glass of expensive Scotch whisky when we get home. Looking forward to a better year.
A nice glass of scotch before bed sounds perfect!.. c
There’s a tradition my mother imported from the Netherlands, but it was saved for the adults or for when we grew up. You have a glass of champagne and 12 grapes. You have to eat all 12 grapes, washed down with the champagne, between the first and final strike of 12. Getting it right means luck for the year. If you don’t manage it, well, you got some nice grapes and a glass of champagne, which is lucky enough for me! I wish you a healthy, happy and fortunate New Year, Miss C, you and all your furry-faced friends. I’m not staying up this year; I have new painkillers for my hip which are making me wonderfully sleepy, and I can’t have a drink on top of them, so I think I’ll just tuck myself into bed shortly and have a gentle day tomorrow, praying for rain…
I love this tradition, such a shame I have no grapes here.. are the new painkillers working? are you getting some sleep?… c
They work a treat, and I got a really good night. It was the first totally pain free evening in 3 months yesterday, and I was sitting there with a big smile on my face. Happiness is a tiny white pill with a big kick!
most excellent!..c
Having lived in Barcelona for a few years (and still having lots of friends there) I generally eat 12 grapes with cava as the clock chimes midnight. I’m going to a roast suckling pig lunch tomorrow – the pig is on vacation from Barcelona – you have to wonder what the customs officers thought when they scanned the suitcase 😉
I can just imagine.. Have a wonderful lunch!.. c
Thanks Cecilia – Happy New Year to you and everyone on the farmy 🙂
Being, initially from the South, there was football and blackeyed peas. Since moving to New Mexico we’ve added tamales and pasolè. Quite a responsibly to eat all that for luck in the new year but I think I’ll be adding burning my old calendar to my traditions. Have a quiet evening and a Happy New Year!
The black eyed peas? How does that work?… c
Eating blackeyed peas, the way my Grandmother made them with rice was supposed to bring luck. Besides making them a complete protein, each peas represents a coin, a pot full representing prosperity.
Our no tradition became our tradition. Quiet night in, just the three of us, take out and movie.
We are asleep before midnight, safe and sound.
Oh take outs.. I would love to do that! c
New Year’s Day Tradition – eating Black Eyed Peas for good luck. Our tradition dictates that they have to be dried peas (I’m cheating this year and using canned) and cooked for long hours on the stove or in a crock pot with lots of smokey pork (hocks, ham or bacon). I prefer salt pork! (oh, please don’t tell Sheila)
From Wikipedia on the Black Eye Pea tradition:
There are several legends as to the origin of this custom.
The “good luck” traditions of eating black-eyed peas at Rosh Hashana, the Jewish New Year, are recorded in the Babylonian Talmud (compiled circa 500 CE), Horayot 12A: “Abaye [d. 339 CE] said, now that you have established that good-luck symbols avail, you should make it a habit to see qara (bottle gourd), rubiya (black-eyed peas, Arabic lubiya), kartei (leeks), silka (either beets or spinach), and tamrei (dates) on your table on the New Year.” However, the custom may have resulted from an early mistranslation of the Aramaic word rubiya (fenugreek).
A parallel text in Kritot 5B states one should eat these symbols of good luck. The accepted custom (Shulhan Aruh Orah Hayim 583:1, 16th century, the standard code of Jewish law and practice) is to eat the symbols. This custom is followed by Sephardi and Israeli Jews to this day.
Another suggested beginning of the tradition dates back to the Civil War, when Union troops, especially in areas targeted by General William Tecumseh Sherman, typically stripped the countryside of all stored food, crops, and livestock, and destroyed whatever they could not carry away. At that time, Northerners considered “field peas” and field corn suitable only for animal fodder, and did not steal or destroy these humble foods.
In the Southern United States, the peas are typically cooked with a pork product for flavoring (such as bacon, ham bones, fatback, or hog jowl), diced onion, and served with a hot chili sauce or a pepper-flavored vinegar.
The traditional meal also includes collard, turnip, or mustard greens, and ham. The peas, since they swell when cooked, symbolize prosperity; the greens symbolize money; the pork, because pigs root forward when foraging, represents positive motion. Cornbread also often accompanies this meal.
Thanks Pat, for that tutorial. I always wondered the significance of black-eyed peas on New Years Day.
wow that was fast!.. excellent.. I think i have some and can cook them over the fire..
Not much of a New Year person, although I agree with your sentiments about a fresh start and all that goes with that. Of course we are English but for the Scots surrounding us here on this Island, Hogmanay is HUGE! All the best,
Christine
Hogmanay.. hmm… well have a restful evening.. that will be me too!.. c
I was born in Europe, between Italy and Austria, fell in love with an American and moved to Ohio over 30 years ago. We celebrate New Years evening rather quit, just he two of us. A few of my European traditions are kept alive in our house, like the New Years tradition. A small amount of lead is melted in a tablespoon (by holding a flame under the spoon) and then poured into a bowl or bucket of water. The resulting pattern is interpreted to predict the coming year. For instance, if the lead forms a ball that means luck will roll your way. The shape of an anchor means help in need. Sometimes its hard to even see anything besides a piece of melted tin. It’s fun and very entertaining 🙂 Happy New Year
Oh I love that idea, we did that once years and years ago and i got a dragon fly! fair dinkum! I had forgotton about that .. now where can I get some lead?.. c
Good question, you can use tin as well 🙂
Solder wire?
Bill and I don’t do much for New Year’s. Watch a good movie or two and then to bed. We don’t usually make it to midnight tho. I have been feeling the organize, shed old stuff urge tho of late. It is quite windy and chilly outside this morning. A good day for cups of hot tea and lap warming cats. Happy New Year to the Fellowship!
How interesting that school starts in Feb. in NZ. With the seasons being opposite, it makes sense, but I had never really thought about it. I learned something new today. 🙂 I am looking forward to a new year tho, very much so.
YUP.. we are in the middle of the summer holidays in NZ. The kids will be off school for another month yet! They get 6 weeks for their summer break. c
A quiet night for us this year. One golden has just had a big tooth removed and is feeling very sorry for herself. Although not as sorry as we are when it comes to giving her the pain killing and antibiotic tablets. A happy and safe 2015 to everyone. Joy
Poor Golden.. she will be feeling miserable.. c
I always did my best as a kid to stay up until midnight and most often failed. When I was a young adult, I stayed up no problem. But not anymore, seeing as how my eyes pop open at 5:15 or 5:30 like clockwork. We’re having friends over tonight and I’ve already warned them we’ll be toasting the new year at eastern or central time (9 or 10) here. Happy New Year to all!
It is a good thing for a writer to wake early! have a lovely evening Charlotte.. c
No food traditions, but a craft one I started several years ago after completing and giving away many counted cross stitch projects as gifts. New Years Eve is the day I start a counted cross stitch project for myself. This year’s choice, when finished, will be a clock — the design includes farm animals and children. What more could you ask for? Tonight will include church and supper with friends and tomorrow will see packing up the decorations for another year. Can’t burn the calendar as it has your gorgeous pictures (and goes until April). Happy New Year Celi!
Oh NO.. No burning that calendar! You must be on the last day of Kupa.. I don’t even have one of those calenders, I sold them all.. but I can look at the one in the grocery store whenever i go in there.. c
How appropriate — the last day of Kupa! I like that! I’ll just rename all the months to the animal involved!
Fireworks are the tradition here, although not ours. One of my dogs thinks the world is coming to an end with each blast.
Black-eyed peas had to be eaten on New Years day when I was a child in Missouri. I love them, but my hubby doesn’t care for them one bit. His NY’s celebration consists of nachos, piled high with every sort of traditional topping known to man. Since having children, we realize the importance of sleep. We go to bed well before midnight approaches.
So, to sum up—we have no tradition. 🙂
There is a tradition about colouured knickers in news day, red for love and green for something else and yellow.. who knows, but I need to investigate!.. c
In the process of making new traditions now to go with a refreshed life and a soon-to-be new husband. We drink my favorite champagne, have bacon – wrapped shrimp, and play pool. I believe tonight I will add the grapes to the game plan as I enticed him with the idea of feeding him peeled grapes when I was fanning him with a palm frond during our recent Cayman Islands sabbatical. Being a true, though displaced, Southerner, I tried the black-eyed peas for good luck tradition one year, and lost my job, and my dog and my cat died, and so I have sworn off that tradition for life. Do have a peaceful New Year’s Eve, miss c. It was a frigid -14 here last night but we’re hoping for 24 today. Practically balmy!
We are pretty cold too, in fact the fire is not keeping up and I am shivering here at the table, i need to get busy – How ON EARTH does one peel a grape? c
I used to do it all the time when I was little to amuse myself! I think it was something I learned from my mother.
No traditions here, though my family used to make a luscious loaf of bread (several loaves, actually) for New Year’s Day. If you found the silver dollar, luck would follow you. Not my favorite holiday at all, but, look forward to 2015. Happy New Year to you and all there on the farmy. 🙂
Bread with a silver dollar.. that sounds like a good tradition.. It feels like I only got used to writing 2014!.. and now we are at 2015.. have a good one!.. c
I enjoy hearing about all the traditions, it makes me feel like starting one myself. I would also like to echo Dirtartful and learn more about your soap recipe.
I will think on it and make a simple one next time.. it really is not hard.. c
I love to pull out my new calendars on New Year’s Day and transfer over important birthdays & anniversaries from the old calendar. It makes for an interesting review of the last year, looking at the old calendar. I’m often surprised at what happened during the past 12 months. “OH, that was just this past year that they got married?” “That was only a few months ago that we celebrated that special birthday?” etc. I really enjoy the fresh, crispness of the new calendar … holding a year of possibilities.
That is an excellent tradition, maybe I will do that.. though as usual i forgot to keep a calendar for myself!.. isn’t time funny how it stretches and pings!.. have a great day marla.. c
A glass of bubbly at midnight watching the ball drop in Times Square. I’m making tomorrow’s Hoppin’ John – black eyed peas, collard greens, salt pork, red pepper flakes, a dash or two of vinegar. They will bring good luck. New Year’s Day is my sister-in-law’s birthday. Some years she is here & then we are more festive with Tres Leches Cake & zabaglione (her favorites). But not this year. So skip the dessert. (New Year’s resolution, soon to fall by the wayside.) Too cold out for me to think of opening windows! Bright sunshine just streaming in says “wash me soon!” Happy New Year from North Carolina to all at the Farmy & in this lovely worldwide circle.
Today will be a fun day, just Jack, me and the animals. We’ll let all the porch animals in to celebrate, and we’ll have yummy food that Jack makes, with broccoli, brussel sprouts, spinach, lettuce and radishes all coming from our garden. We are so excited to be living off our garden in the middle of the winter. All rows have row covers and the veggies are doing great! The happiest, happiest of New Years to you and Our John dear Celi!!!! xoxoxo
We drink champagne. Fall asleep much too early. Then sort of wake up again when we hear the fireworks and kiss each other over another sleepy champagne. In honor of our Cuban friend, we throw a bucket of water out of the upstairs window. This is too get rid of the evil accumulated spirits. Or to make us rich. I can never remember which! On New Year’s day we do the Italian thing and eat Cotechino or Zampone and lentils. The lentils, like black-eyed peas in the US are go bring you good luck and fortune. The Cotechino is just to make you fat, as far as I can see. It’s good, but thank heavens you only eat it once a year. Mostly, I just let the old trash go. Clean out my personal larder. And head into the new year with a lighter load. I love it.
Ron and I get our favorite splurge food, I like caviar on pumpernickel with a nice Havarti cheese and Ron eats pizza. We get a nice bottle of Champagne and watch the New York celebration on t.v. The ball drops at 10:00 p.m. our time, so were in bed by 10:05. It’s really fun. Happy New Year to you Miss C and the farmy family.
Robin🐥
It is impossible for me to throw away never mind actually burn a calendar. The pictures are so lovely. I especially could NEVER throw away your calendar. Which reminds me I never got this year’s. I thought I ordered it but maybe not. Is it too late?
Another one, there are quite a few that have not been delivered and i sent them all first class.. could you send me a quick email with all your details again, though i know I have them somewhere and I will order one to be delivered straight to you.. WHAT is going on with the mail? sorry about that.. c
Kielbasa and sauerkraut – and hot dogs for the kids. I do like the grapes and champagne idea, will add that to the midnight festivities – go outside and bang pots and pans in the cold! Happy New Year!
That soap looks wonderful. We get together every year with our friends and be silly. Comfy PJs are the dress of choice. Potluck is always delicious! Happy New Year!
We usually go out for a nice dinner with friends – the last big meal of the holidays and of the year. 😊 I do love the idea of a shiny new year, but I like New Year’s Day best. I read yesterday of someone who always goes for a nature walk New Year’s Day and assumes the first wild animal she sees as her totem for that year. (Squirrels don’t count!) I think I’ll do that. Wishing all the fellowship and our various animals a wonderful new year. xo
The smell of lemon grass takes me back to college years when that was my favorite scent. Real soap is such a luxury. So much better for you. Your daughter is so lucky!
Spring cleaning now does seem normal so me, too. Resort, rethink everything, get rid of the clutter. Now that’s the way to really open a new year.
Here New Year’s traditions include blackeye peas ( or field peas that normally feed livestock will do – that was all that was left after the Union army came through much of the South/SW. The peas were seen as good luck …there was something to eat…can be exciting to many. Some said the peas represented coins and may the new year bring many. You can put a coin under the bowl if you wish.) Served with golden corn bread ( the color of gold coins – to lure a pile your way) and either collard greens (the color of money. Bacon or ham can be added in the dish) or cabbage.
In any case add a salad for a nice warm meal for grey weather . All that’s needed is a fireplace, good company, and a non-manic dog.
Best wishes for the New Year to you and yours!
(and thanks for all your lovely pictures and farmy adventures. Makes many a day brighter.)
We have a tradition that goes back to the ’50’s before I was born. My two brothers were fairly small but not so small they couldn’t be left alone asleep while my parents went across the street to a party. They awoke to fireworks going off at midnight and thought the Koreans were attacking, and my parents found them at home in a panic. From that time on, everyone stayed at home and played board games all evening. We continued this tradition in my family with five kids. Now, my kids are all grown and two of them have places to go and one is recovering from what’s going around. I’m not sure whether anyone will gather or not. Long ago we decided to have our favorite appetizers, so our snacks are mushroom turnovers, olive/cheese balls, a cheese ball and crackers, and as much junk food (potato chips and dip) as anyone wants. But nobody has asked me to make any of that stuff this year. Jack is going to make me dinner, I know that much. He has the black-eyed peas tradition, but we’ll see if he remembers it. I’m not overly fond of them 🙂
Happy New Year to the Fellowship!
In Bosnia, Serbia, Croatia they have a christmas tree for the new year’s eve. It is decorated on the 31st of december 🙂 also, at midnight they drink coffee (turkish coffee, not filtered), so after they have finished drinking they turn the cup upside down and on the inside the dry rests of the coffee form a picture. Then they read the pictures, like for instance a dog means honesty, a horse strength and so on. I found that very funny while celebrating with some friends a few years ago. 🙂
All that is wonderful for coming year to your and all who inhabit the kingdom of the Farmy.
I was thinking that I don’t have a New Year’s eve tradition, and, actually, I tend to fall asleep by 9pm…lol…getting old. But New Years day I’m very particular that no one is allowed to eat any bird anything. No chicken or turkey or eggs etc, because there is a Czech superstition, which my Czech grandmother ground into me, which states that all your money will fly out the window is you eat any bird anything. Robert thinks it’t the most ridiculous thing he’s ever heard of but humours me anyway. I remember one NY day taping a huge X in green tape over the shelf where the left-over Xmas turkey was, with a note which said, “no you don’t!!!”. We had a laugh. 😀 Hope your eve is lovely and you wake up to a wonderful new day. Biggest hugs from me to you. 😀
Well I’ll tell you what we’re NOT doing…we’re not spending the day and night on the street waiting for the big Tournament of Roses Parade, like thousands of other people here! Nor are we going anywhere near the Rose Bowl.
Tonight the older kids might venture out and walk the parade route to take in the excitement, but the rest of us will keep warm in the comfort of our own home, thank you very much. We watch some celebration or other on TV until midnight, toast the new year with a glass of sparkling cider, then go to bed. Tomorrow we watch the Rose Parade on TV. All. Day. Long. A family friend makes us a big pot of gumbo. The highlight of New Years for us, really, is the night of January 3, when about half of the parade floats come down our street on their way to deconstruction.
We go skating. Since around the time my daughter was an infant, and then for every year afterward, we’ve either rented a sheet of ice to share with our extended family or taken our skates down to a public rink in the river valley to slide or crash or fly around. I don’t think we ever intended it to be a family tradition, it’s just kind of what happened. We get up too early to stay up late, and don’t do well in huge crowds of people. The big New Year’s Eve celebrations are for other folks than us. So we go skating. 🙂 Happy new year, Celi.
That is so interesting that the school year in NZ starts in February. Do they have similar vacations to the U.S.? Ours is dumb because it is predicated on a rural population which, sadly, we don’t have much of anymore. Except for you C! Happy New Year!
whoops! at last I have come to the comments box…what a lot. I felt like Alice falling down the rabbit hole and never knowing when I would land with a bump….
Traditions..none really..and like you we get up early so its a case of early to bed, early to rise BUT on New Years Eve we HAVE to stay up because Grisha my neighbour lets off fireworks which frighten my dogs ( thats a big tradition in BG, fireworks I mean) so we stay up to keep them calm and happy…personally I would rather be in my bed
Happy New Year to you all !
Happy New Year, Celi! I am always excited to start the New Year…it gives me a sense of newness and feeling or renewal. The lengthening days help also. It’s been a pleasure to have you in my blog life. A simple statement but so true.
Here is to whatever 2015 brings! A chime of glasses hitting!
Linda
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Scottish mum and I married a Scotsman, and now live in Scotland (though without that Scotsman), means that I’ve always celebrated Hogmanay in some way: at home, opening to let the old year out and the new year in, or, later (but long ago!) daft parties. Nowadays it’s a quiet night in, seeing in the bells with a glass of Crabbies ginger wine (just like my mum!) The supermarkets run out of steak pie (traditional New Year’s Day dinner), and shortbread… At home we always had a special ‘Sunday’ sort of a meal on the 1st, with a sandwich, bap, toast, cake supper the night before. Light, love, peace, busyness, better, best and every blessing to all the Farmy Fellowship x
Happy new year Farmy……already 2015 here, and we had the most marvellous storm in the night that cleansed and refreshed everything after a few very hot days. No calendar burning here with fire bans in place. My traditions for NYE aren’t family, just mine and don’t involve food or drink. All year I write on my calendar, little notes about what I did, felt, the weather, visitors, thoughts, quotes I like, that kind of thing and on NYE I look back, some things I transfer to my new calendar, others I decide to let go. Then I light candles, 4 for each of the directions, release those things …or people…I’ve decided to let go, and call in blessings for the new year, for all, not just me. Blow out the candles and go to bed. It’s going to be the new year whether I’m up to see it in or not. I usually lunch with friends on the day, but have a nasty head cold, so I’m not sure I’m up for driving anywhere, I’ll re-asses after walking the dog.
Well it’s New Years Day here already. I don’t have any traditions, in fact I am a lot like you are with Christmas at New Year, can’t wait for us all to get back to normal work rhythm. I’m so glad I read everyones replies, because I knew about the black eyed peas and bacon from memories of my Mums Californian friends – but I never knew why. In truth she used pink beans, and that is the recipe that I have, I made it last night, it will be all the better now I know the story behind it, and I will make corn bread, and serve it with salad for lunch. Too late for the bird products I am afraid, Mr Grumpybuilder got up and made us bacon and eggs. But I don’t have any money anyway, nothing to fly out the window.
I’m looking forward to 2015, it’s now seven years since I broke my big full length mirror, how’s that for silly? But it seems that something new really is in the air this summer, and it feels good.
Wishing you all peace and prosperity.
Before we moved to the land-of-good-sushi, we would roll our own with a few families, while drinking champagne during the evening. I think I might have to dust that one off and revisit it. Happy New Year!
We love the ugly soap. Worked wonders on my hands!
Bring on the New Year!
I am a true Southern(a rare third generation Floridian) so it is black eyed peas with hog jowls, greens(turnip for us) and rice. Thought for this year we are going with a 15 bean mix.
Here in the South we eat ham (can’t eat those traditional hog jowls), black-eyed peas and turnip greens on New Year’s Day.
Here in the midwest it’s tradition to eat herring at midnight for luck. Thank you very much but I’ll take my chances. I think it’s a German thing. Personally I haven’t seen the New Year in in ages, in fact I’m happy when the whole holiday season is over. ‘signed’ Grinch, hahaha
right there with YA! .. John is eating his herring as we speak!!. c
Uk!
I’m in Germany this year because my mom passed away. She was 91 years old . Here in the northern part of Germany donuts filled with plum jam are eaten for good luck. My mom used to make them . She also made herring salad with beets.
I guess our tradition is to sit around at home. We used to watch the ball drop in NYC on TV, but the fun had gone out of that. The entertainment isn’t so entertaining any more. Happy New Year!
Hi Celi. Wish you and yours a wonderful new year! We started the year really special … We met a brand new born zebra! And watched Mama perform a neat little surgery on detaching the placenta from baby. It was awesome to see the little one get on it’s feet and begin to face this world … It’s hard to survive out in the African bush.
Hopefully I will get the pictures and video up on the blog later …
New Year’s Eve is Fd’s and my wedding anniversary. We have a nice dinner out usually, but this year my Baby Sister and her family came to visit us from Nebraska… so we made dinner here and had some sparkling wine and played games. Generally though, FD and I never stay up long enough to watch the ball drop in NYC. In the South, the tradition is to eat Black-eyed Peas for lunch on New Year’s Day. I never do this. I find it a silly tradition. 🙂
When I was young and my grandparents were still alive we went to their house every year and had snacks and played cards. Then at midnight, we went outside and the whole neighborhood set off fireworks and banged on pots and pans and celebrated the beginning of a New Year. Now we switch it up. Sometimes we go downtown to an event called First Night where artists and performers are placed all over the downtown area. They give a map and you walk from venue to venue. All of the art galleries are also open. This year it was way too cold to wander around outside until midnight so we stayed home, had a huge seafood feast, and I was asleep by 10:00. Ha!