Hogmanay 2008

[PiobBear]

[ChromeScholar]

Very cool!

[PiobBear]

A good friend wanted to host a traditional Hogmanay; a Scottish New Years celebration. At midnight, I piped the old year out, and leading everyone outside, piped the new year in to 'Auld Lang Syne'. Several of us had brought blackpowder muskets, which we fired off into the air with the challenge "Who goes there?", to which a visitor in a long black Inverness coat replied "The new year, and all's well." They presented the host with a black bun (a traditional Hogmanay thing, sort of like a heavy, dense pudding, made almost exclusively of currants and raisins); "May you never hunger", a bottle of his favorite single malt Scotch; "May you never thirst", and a lump of coal; "Lang may yer lum reek" (long may your chimney smoke), to which the more piratical of the company loudly reply "On other people's coal!". The dark visitor is the first to cross the threshold in the new year (first footing), followed by black bun and glasses all 'round; toasting our host, the piper, our mutual friendship, and our collective hopes of health, wealth, and happiness (and confusion to our enemies!); a ritualized (and highly theatrical) blessing on the new year.

[cessna152towser]

That looks like a lively little gathering. I wish I could have joined you.

[CactusJack]

Looks like fun, Thanks for sharing..

[Chef]

Sounds similar to the Hogmanays I remember in Scotland...minus the firearms of course.

[GMan]

What a great way to celebrate!

[mbhandy]

That is a great shot of the mussel loader going off. Never shot mine at night or with a wad load.

MrBill

[Jack Daw]

I went to a Hogmanay/NYE party in Houston. I wore my MaGregor kilt; along with, a semi-formal seal skin sporran, my black Argyll jacket, a chambrey shirt, Red-and-black diced hose, green flashes, ghillie brogues, and sgian dhu. Nae boneid wiz scrugged an me heid, mon!

No pics, yet. Sorry.