Hogmanay

Scots use the word hogmanay to refer to New Year's Eve and the rich
heritage of traditions and customs associated with New Year celebra-
tions. Ever since I arrived in Scotland in late 2003, I have heard around
this time of year people in the land referring to hogmanay. Edinburgh
is known worldwide for her hogmanay celebrations of New Year's Eve
and the New Year. Over 80,000 people pour into the city to welcome
in the New Year with festivities and fireworks. The modern celebration
of Hogmanay taps into ancient customs and traditions associated with
the pagan festival of Hogmanay.

The linguistic roots of the word hogmanay are difficult to determine.
Flemish, Anglo-Saxon, French, Norman, and Scandanavian languages,
each have been reckoned to be the source of the word. But the wild and
festive customs of hogmanay appear to have come from the pagan Vik-
ing settlements in Scotland. From the 17th century to the 1950s, Christ-
mas as a Christian festival was banned in Scotland by the Scottish Pres-
byterian Church, the official church of Scotland. Christmas was seen as
too Catholic for Protestant Scotland. Many Scots worked on Christmas
but celebrated hogmanay in grand style. Hogmanay was a big holiday
filled with family, friends, parties, and gift exhanges. It was a special
time for children.

Having experienced a number of Christmases in Scotland since 2003,
it is difficult for me to imagine that Christmas was ever banned by the
Scottish Church. I have enjoyed immensely the Scottish Christian tra-
ditions of Christmas. But over the years I have grown increasingly
aware of the rich Scottish customs that are uniquely associated with
hogmanay. It is a tradition to welcome friends, family, and strangers
into one's home on New Year's Eve and offer them warm hospitality.
Another Scottish New Year's tradition is to sing Robert Burns's For
Auld Lang Syne immediately after midnight.

In Edinburgh and other cities of Scotland, fireworks and torchlight pro-
cessions are planned in order to welcome in the New Year. They carry
on with the spirit of ancient Scottish pagan festival customs from cen-
turies ago. Thus the New Year is welcomed in on a festive note. Cities
throughout the world use the hogmanay New Year celebrations in Edin-
burgh as a model for their own New Year festivities. January 2nd is al-
so designated as an official holiday in Scotland. I have not heard of that
being used anywhere else in Britain or the world.

But the sense I have as I talk to people is that the season of New Year's
Eve and New Years is an opportunity to clear out the vestiges of the old
year and welcome in the New Year. People hope to make a clean break
with the past and enter into a time when new things will happen. There
is something to be said for that. This week I have been clearing out the
vestiges of 2010 and preparing for 2011. I hope to share more about
that as I post in the New Year.

I close wishing you a blessed hogmanay

Blessings to you and yours,

midnight