Traditions

New year’s day seems to be a good day to observe a few traditions, just to get the year off on the right foot.

We have somewhat altered the Scottish tradition of First Footing. If we waited for anyone to cross our threshold, dark haired or otherwise, we might wait for days. We just let it go at the first person we speak to. It was a beautiful morning, sunny and crisp, a fortuitous beginning, and since we did NOT stay up to see the new year in at midnight, we took Spike for a walk up to ‘his’ meadow this morning.

The first person we saw was a woman we met at the gate who told me that she was recovering from Covid, or maybe flu, and this was her first venture outside. We talked like old friends, (she told me that in order to beat the winter blues she gets up and dances) and at the meadow, she thanked me for ‘getting me up the hill’ and went off to check out the frog pond which has filled with the 5 inches of rain we’ve had since Christmas. I never even found out her name.

The Second Footing, so to speak, was even more fortuitous because it was Dana and Jim and Blake! We never see them at Spring Lake, but there they were as we waited at the stop sign. Another good omen.

I’m making beans and greens which is a tradition that comes from the US South and is meant to bring good health and prosperity. I often make a dish called Hoppin’ John but today we are making do with what we have on hand.

I did completely forget one tradition, and that was to watch the Rose Parade which has been held in my home town of Pasadena on new year’s day since forever. I have participated in that parade in many different ways over the years ranging from working on the floats, marching in the parade, riding on a float to camping out on the sidewalk on Colorado St. all night to secure a good viewing spot. None of those things, I might add, have been done since I went to university, but they left their mark on my memories.

Happy New Year to all and may your traditions all be realized. Slainté