Hogmany

We're getting to that time of year when festivities are kicking in. As much as I love twinkly lights and trees and yummy Christmas food, my absolute favourite time of year is Hogmany - or New Year's Eve as you probably call it if you're not Scottish! I don't keep resolutions but I still always feel like it's the one time when you can wipe slate the clean and start afresh - and the traditions surrounding it, which date back to pagan times, couldn't be more fabulous. I've always found it hard living abroad (even in England!) when often other countries don't place as much importance on it and I've been hauled back into work on January 2nd, which is still a holiday in the tartan climes of Scotland!

Stonehaven, the wee town where I grew up as a kid is particularly proud of its Hogmany traditions. Before the clock strikes midnight, people line the streets to watch the fireballs - an old ceremony where volunteers swing actual fireballs round their heads to ward off evil spirits for the year ahead. Check out the video above for an idea of what it's like! It's no wonder that I love urban fantasy when I grew up with that sort of thing...

Of course, fireballs aren't the only Hogmany tradition that I love. My gran used to tell me that if you look into an open fire at the exact moment that that the new year strikes, then you'll see the face of the man (or woman) you're supposed to be with. Unfortunately we didn't have a fireplace at the time so it wasn't a theory I ever managed to test!

Then there's first footing. After midnight, strangers bearing gifts of coal or (preferably) shortbread are welcomed into your house and given whiskey in return. It's supposed to be particularly lucky if you receive a tall dark stranger on your doorstep - although that's probably lucky at any time of year ;)

New Year's Day is for sitting down with family and tucking into the traditional meal of steak pie, neeps and tatties (turnips and potatoes!), which is exactly what you need when it's so cold outside and you have hangovers to banish. Yum.

So now it's over to you - what New Year's traditions do you celebrate? And what's your favourite day of the year?