I thought I’d write today, rather than getting lost in the rush tomorrow.
Wikipedia (normaly an acceptable first port of call) babbles on about the assorted possible but undecided entymology of “Hogmanay” (or Hagmena, Hogmina or Hagman-ha, across northern England), but it doesn’t really elucidate about “why”.
Perhaps the true answer will never be rightly known, but it seems to me that there is a very obvious rationale for the event “the night before”, and it’s continued celebration in these parts.
Like all right thinking solar diety worshippers, the Celts counted their day from Sunset to Sunset. This, of course, means that the new year begins when the sun sets on the last day of the old year, not at some arbitrary – and hard to define without clocks – Midnight.
The persistance of the event, is , I rather susupect, an outgrowth of Christianity, which attempted (quite succesfully) to oust the Pagan Yule with Christmas (scholarly argument varies, but nobody thinks he was born in December). In Scotland particuarly the prevelant branch became Presbyterianism (No, just NO!) which essentially banned Christmas# as “too papish” (not my words), however it would seem that the “older” event was either too ingrained in local tradition, or simply less offensive than some “Roman” celebration. It might also be that even the sternest -thou shalt not- faith needs to have some day to allow a little license?
#My own father (sadly gone) recalled clearly from his journeyman days in the building trade, that Christmas was merely a half day with a 8am start (working in peoples houses or in open shops) while New Years was 2 full days off. Christmas wasn’t a public holiday here till 1958/9?
Apart from the (sadly no longer available to me) immoderate drinking, most Newyears traditions have some fire element to them (yes including the fireworks) this is of course, a survival of fire driving off evil spirits, and while it is commonly held that “the first foot” should present a lump of coal – which some victorian fool thought was about abundance -this is a relict survivor (says me) of the bringing of a burning ember to the house.
This banishing quality of fire, only applies where it is “forced” (literally by rubbing sticks[logs!} together – there are quite a number of local traditions), and this comunally started blaze was then taken to each house in turn to rekindkle all fires – which had been extinguished before sunset.
So I propose that, rather than the 10 second countdown and 5 minutes of frenetic celebration, we should revert to, Happy new year at sundown, and have the first visitor switch all the lights on (you need a whole village to start a fire with 2 logs) , or at least light a candle.
My best wishes to you all in ’23.
Next year on IaDL : How about some music?
This is not a scholarly article, there are no citations, references or bibliography, it’s just me thinking.
LDW
Dalmallyfest the Asylum 