First-footing in Edinburgh

1 January · Edinburgh, Midlothian

Still kept

In Scotland the new year was let in at midnight with a hot pint of spiced ale and spirits, carried from house to house in a kettle. The first person over a threshold after twelve was the first-foot, and he was expected to come bearing cakes, bread and cheese for the household’s luck. Chambers says the streets of Edinburgh’s Old Town were once busier between twelve and one in the morning than at midday, until a gang of youths used the crowds for robbery on New Year’s morning 1812 and nearly ended the custom. First-footing is still kept across Scotland and the north of England.

it was most important, for luck to the family in the coming year, that they should make their entry, not empty-handed, but with their hands full of cakes and bread and cheese

From Chambers's Book of Days, vol. 1, pp. 28-29. Read the original

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Folklore from the old calendars

Riding the Stang on New Year’s Day No longer kept Cumberland, WestmorlandA writer in the Gentleman's Magazine of 1791 reported that in Westmorland and Cumberland crowds gathered early on New Year's morning carrying baskets and stangs, or stout poles.
The Hutton Conyers Pie Court No longer kept YorkshireThe lord of the manor of Hutton Conyers held his court on the first day of the year, when the shepherds of six townships around the moor came to keep their right of sheep-walk.
The Falkirk Guisards No longer kept StirlingshireIn the Daft Days around the new year, bands of guisards went from house to house in Falkirk acting a short play in which Galgacus, the Caledonian chief, fights and kills Jack, a doctor haggles over his fee and raises him, and Judas comes round with the bag for money.
The New Year Wassail Bowl Still kept Gloucestershire, Staffordshire, WarwickshireAt the New Year the head of an English household gathered his family round a bowl of spiced ale called lamb's wool and drank their health with the old greeting wass hael, and the bowl went round.
Jack of Hilton No longer kept StaffordshireHilton Hall in Staffordshire kept a hollow brass figure about a foot high, known across the county as Jack of Hilton, which was filled with water and set by the fire so that steam blew from its mouth like a bellows.
Coventry God-cakes No longer kept WarwickshireAt Coventry it was the custom to eat God-cakes on New Year's Day.
New Year’s Gifts No longer kept EnglandGiving presents on New Year's Day was once general in England, though by Chambers's day it had shrunk to parents and elders giving to children.
The Fair First-foot at Preston Lore and belief LancashireA gentleman of Preston told Notes and Queries that for many years he had called on an elderly lady early on New Year's Day at her own request, because he was fair-complexioned and so thought to bring good luck for the year.
Kiss ’em and Sugar Toast No longer kept EnglandA Table Book correspondent described seeing the new year in at a village party.
Juniper Smoke and the Dead and Living Ford No longer kept HighlandsHone gives an account from Stewart's Popular Superstitions of the Highlands of how the Strathdown Highlander let in the new year.
New Clothes on New Year’s Day Lore and belief EnglandHone notes from Forster's Perennial Calendar that many people made a point of wearing something new on New Year's Day and thought it unlucky not to.
New Year cakes at Cambridge No longer kept CambridgeshireA visitor to friends at Cambridge was woken at seven on New Year's morning by the familiar Good Friday cry of one a penny, two a penny, buns, all hot.
Take out, then take in Lore and belief LincolnshireIn Lincoln and the country round it people held that it was unlucky to carry anything out of the house on New Year's morning before something had been brought in.
Dancing at the stone of North Ronaldsay No longer kept OrkneyThe Statistical Account of Scotland described a great upright stone, some nine or ten feet high and four feet broad, standing in a plain on the Orkney island of North Ronaldsay.
Opening the Bible on New Year’s morning Lore and belief EnglandIn some parts of the country the Bible was consulted on New Year's morning to learn what the year would bring.
No light from the house on New Year’s Day Lore and belief EnglandEllis's edition of Brand gathers several warnings for New Year's Day.
Verses for luck at Eton No longer kept BuckinghamshireA manuscript account of Eton College written in 1560 records that on the feast of the Circumcision, New Year's Day, the boys played for small New Year's gifts before and after supper.
If the grass grows in Janiveer Lore and belief Northern EnglandA saying still heard in the north of England in Ellis's day warned against a mild start to the year: if the grass grows in January, it grows the worse for it all the year.
Summer till New Year, winter till May Lore and belief WalesThe Welsh held that if summery weather lasted until New Year's Day, wintry weather would last until May Day.
A needle and thread at Queen’s College Still kept OxfordshireOn New Year's morning at Queen's College, Oxford, the dean or bursar gave every fellow and scholar a threaded needle, saying take this and be a good husband.
Vervain from the grove of Strenia Lore and belief EnglandNew Year's gifts were said to go back to a bunch of vervain given to a Sabine king on the first day of the year.
A favoured youth for first-foot Still kept Northern EnglandThe first person over the threshold on New Year's Day was thought to shape the family's luck, above all the daughters', for the whole year.
The shoe left with the ale-wife No longer kept WestmorlandOn New Year's Day in Westmorland towns and villages the men lifted the women onto a ladder, pole or chair and carried them off to the nearest public house.
The bachelor first-foot at Stamfordham No longer kept NorthumberlandAt Stamfordham the first-foot on New Year's morning had to be a bachelor, and he usually carried in a shovelful of coals, though whisky was taking its place.
The hired Lucky-bird No longer kept County Durham, YorkshireIn the west of County Durham a man might be engaged in advance to be a household's first-foot, or Lucky-bird as Yorkshire called him, and was paid with a glass of spirits.
Nothing carried out on New Year’s Day No longer kept County DurhamIn the old farmhouses of County Durham nothing was allowed to leave the house on New Year's Day, though anything might be brought in.
Wishes through the keyhole in Cleveland No longer kept Northumberland, YorkshireEarly on New Year's morning the lads of Cleveland called a greeting through their neighbours' keyholes, wishing them a pantry full of roast beef and a barrel full of beer.
The cream of the well at Bromyard No longer kept HerefordshireAs midnight struck on New Year's Eve, people round Bromyard raced to the nearest spring for the first water of the year.
The globe of thorns and Old Cider No longer kept HerefordshireVery early on New Year's Day, Herefordshire farm boys wove blackthorn branches into a globe and singed it over a straw fire while the household stood round shouting "Old Cider".
New Year apple-trees at Monmouth No longer kept MonmouthshireOn New Year's Day little boys near Monmouth carried round a little tree made of deal, its branches tipped with apples that were gilded, covered in silver tissue, or floured and stuck with black and white oats.
Lads for hire as first-foot Lore and belief Shropshire, WorcestershireIn Worcestershire and Shropshire it was unlucky for a woman to be the first to enter the house on New Year's morning.
Le Fortresse dangerus No longer kept EnglandAgainst New Year's night in the Christmas of 1513 to 1514, Henry VIII had a castle with gates, towers and a dungeon built in the hall, garrisoned by six ladies in russet satin and gold.
Sir Thomas More keeps the gloves No longer kept LondonSuitors used to give New Year's gifts to the Lord Chancellor in hope of a favourable judgment.
Ferrers’s New Year’s robe No longer kept EnglandWhen George Ferrers of Lincoln's Inn was made Lord of Misrule to divert the young Edward VI, he had a different costume for Christmas Day, New Year's Day and Twelfth Day.
The Workington women’s club dinner on New Year’s Day No longer kept CumberlandWorkington had a friendly society of more than two hundred women, and every New Year's Day its members sat down to an annual dinner.
The monkish verses of unlucky days Lore and belief EnglandAn old monkish calendar gave the unlucky days of every month in a Latin verse, and for January it named the first and the seventh, days that cut like a sword.
Charming the first new moon of the year Lore and belief England, YorkshireTo learn whom she would marry, a girl went out on the evening the first new moon appeared after New Year's Day, stood over the bars of a gate or stile, and hailed the moon.
A New Year’s song at the door No longer kept EnglandAt the New Year people wished each other a good year whenever a gift was given or friends met, and singers came to the door with a New Year's song whose burden was a wish for a happy New Year.
Mumming in each other’s clothes No longer kept EnglandAt the New Year season men and women exchanged clothes and went disguised from one neighbour's house to another, sharing their Christmas cheer and making merry with dancing and singing.
All hail to the Moon after New Year’s Day Lore and belief EnglandAt the first new moon after New Year's Day, anyone wishing to see a future husband or wife went out in the evening, stood over the spars of a gate or stile, and hailed the moon with a rhyme asking it to reveal who that should be.
Crackling laurel for a plentiful harvest Lore and belief EnglandAt Christmas and the New Year laurel was thrown on the fire, and a loud crackling was taken to promise a plentiful harvest in the year ahead.
The wassailers’ blessing and the dry house No longer kept EnglandWassailers at the gate sang blessings on the household for the twelve months ahead, but a house that gave them no ale or beer was left with a parting reproach.
A crown under the chaplains’ plates No longer kept LondonThe last trace of the royal New Year's gift at court was a crown-piece laid under the plate of each chaplain in waiting on New Year's Day.
Lady Shelley’s New Year rewards at Maresfield No longer kept SussexEvery New Year's Day at Maresfield Park the industrious poor who had kept off parish relief were given prizes of up to two guineas.
Juniper before the cattle at New Year near Dingwall No longer kept Highlands, Ross and CromartyOn New Year's Day the Highlanders round Dingwall burnt juniper before their cattle.
Meat on the bench for Gobelyn Lore and belief EnglandIn the late Middle Ages some people left food and drink out on the bench overnight at the new year to feed a household spirit called Alholde or Gobelyn.
Leading the plough about the fire Lore and belief EnglandIn the late Middle Ages some country people began the year by leading a plough round the fire, so that they would fare the better all the year after.
Oidhche Choille, the night of the trees Lore and belief BanffshireOn the first night of January the people of Kirkmichael watched the wind with anxious attention, reading from it the weather for the whole year to come.
The royal well at New-year-field Lore and belief West LothianNear the house of Livingston stood the farm of New-year-field, where tradition held the Scottish kings had a hunting seat while they stayed at Linlithgow.
Thumb-holed cakes after New Year’s Day Lore and belief WalesWhen the first batch of bread was baked after New Year's Day, Welsh women made a small round cake for each person in the house, named it and pressed a hole in it with the thumb.

First-footing in Edinburgh

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