'Concerning Hogmanay Hoolies...'
By Ceit Uiseag

Well, it's coming up to Christmas, and after Christmas it's New Year. Being as we are all mad about Harry, we should all know that Hogwarts is in Scotland...

...so, since I'm a native to the area, I'd like to tell you about a Scottish tradition...

Hogmanay!

Hogmanay is how the Scots celebrate New Year, and the party often lasts for days. On the 31st December, or Old Year's Night, people go to parties called ceilidhs (or hoolies, depending on who you're talking to!) where there is dancing, food, singing, storytelling and much silliness.

In recent years, there have been big organised celebrations in Edinburgh and Glasgow, but lots of smaller ceilidhs are put on too. On the stroke of midnight, the bells sound, and everyone joins hands in a large circle and sings Auld Lang Syne, which was originally written in Old Scots, which was the language of the Lowland Scots. 'Auld Lang Syne' means 'old long ago', or 'times gone by'. Here are the words:

Words adapted from a traditional song
by Robert Burns (1759-96)

Should auld acquaintance be forgot,
And never brought to mind?
Should auld acquaintance be forgot,
And auld lang syne?

CHORUS:
For auld lang syne, my dear,
For auld lang syne,
We'll take a cup of kindness yet,
For auld lang syne!

And surely ye'll be your pint-stowp,
And surely I'll be mine,
And we'll take a cup o kindness yet,
For auld lang syne!

We twa hae run about the braes,
And pou'd the gowans fine,
But we've wander'd monie a weary fit,
Sin auld lang syne.

We twa hae paidl'd in the burn
Frae morning sun till dine,
But seas between us braid hae roar'd
Sin auld lang syne.

And there's a hand my trusty fiere,
And gie's a hand o thine,
And we'll take a right guid-willie waught,
For auld lang syne

So why all the fuss? We know we all like a good party, but why Hogmanay? Well, in ancient Britain, winter was dark, cold and harsh, and folk had a festival to cheer themselves up, and to worship the sun and fire that helped them stay warm and grow food, in hope of bringing it back. This developed into the Roman festival of Saturnalia, where people celebrated for days.

Then along came the Vikings, who introduced Yule, which eventually became the Twelve Days of Christmas (also known as the Daft Days in Scotland). After the Reformation, the winter festivals declined, but from the end of the seventeenth century, people began to celebrate them again. Like many other places, for Scotland, New Year is a time to welcome in the year - to say goodbye to the old year and open ourselves up to the hopes and dreams of the future. The end of the year is cold and dark, but the new year brings the promise of light and change, and a 'clean break'.

The name 'Hogmanay' is thought to have various origins, including 'og maidne' (Gaelic for New Morning) and 'Haleg Monath' (Anglo-saxon for Holy Month'). Nobody really knows for sure, but today, 'Hogmanay' is synonymous with parties, good cheer and dancing in the streets.

'First-Footing' is a Hogmanay tradition still kept going in many parts of Scotland. It is thought that the coming year will be a prosperous one if the first foot inside your door after midnight on Hogmanay belongs to a tall, dark man carrying a lump of coal, a coin or a cake. In return for the luck he brings you, you offer your first-foot whisky, or Het Pint, which is ale mixed with whisky and nutmeg. First-footing is believed to have been born of the fear of blonde strangers at the door between the 4th and 12th centuries, because these were usually Vikings causing considerable amounts of damage.

Fire still plays a big part in Hogmanay, and lots of places in Scotland have a bonfire. In Stonehaven, sixty locals walk through the town, swinging flaming spheres around, as part of the Fireballs Ceremony. Associated with Hogmanay in Shetland is Up Helly Aa, in which a replica Viking ship is burned on the last Tuesday in January. Some people, after cleaning their house completely at the end of the year, burn juniper to help cleanse the house and keep away evil spirits.

So if you're wandering through Hogsmeade on Old Year's Night, you'll probably need a quick translation of various things you may be told!

Lang may yer lum reek (wi' ither folk's coal)! : Long may your chimney smoke (with other people's coal)!

A guid new Year, and mony may ye see! : Happy new year, and many may you see!

And if you happen across any hyperactive Highlanders *whistles innocently* you may need to know this:

Slàinte mhath! : Cheers!/Good health!

This is a much-used expression in the Highlands and Islands, but at Hogmanay, it's heard a lot more than usual!

So wherever you are in the world, and whatever you're doing on December 31st, I would like to wish you a very happy Hogmanay! Slàinte mhath! (Oh, and a very Huffie Christmas too!)