Happy Hogmanay!

Yes, Hogmanay is the name the Scots have for the last day of the year. It originated as part of the celebration of the Winter Solstice and Yule. The Scots, always a fun bunch, had a number of customs which were tied to the end of one year and the beginning of the next. One of them, the practice of "first footing", may have led to the concept of "putting your best foot forward."

The most widespread national custom is the practice of first-footing which starts immediately after midnight. This involves being the first person to cross the threshold of a friend or neighbour and often involves the giving of symbolic gifts such as coal, shortbread, whiskey, or silver intended to bring different kinds of luck to the householder. Food and drink are then given to the guests. 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. According to popular folklore, a man with dark hair was welcomed because he was assumed to be a fellow Scotsman; a blonde or red haired stranger was assumed to be an unwelcome Norseman.

While you're at it, the more anal retentive among you may wish to keep a good eye on your wrist watch this evening, and be sure to set it one second back at midnight. This year, we will be adding a "leap second" to the clocks in order to keep up with the gradual slowing of the Earth's rotation. And who's to blame for the Earth's rotation slowing down? The moon! Just one more good reason to blow the damned thing up.

So, while you're out this evening celebrating the arrival of the new year, be sure to wish everyone a Happy Hogmanay and pester them about setting their watches correctly. It might start a few good conversations while you wait to open the champagne. Or, if nothing else, it will probably get you into a fight.

Happy New Year, Hogmanay, Saturnalia and 12th Night to all of Middle Earth Journal's readers. We look forward to annoying and amusing you in the new year to come.