New Year's traditions

[Kim]

An E mail I got today....if anyone has an interesting tradition, PM me and I'll direct him to you.

"All:
I say this a lot, I know, but please excuse the mass e-mail -- it's about the best way I can handle this:

The Bee features department is putting together a package for Jan. 1 looking at people's New Years Day traditions, or what people to do start off the new year on the right foot.

We're NOT asking for your New Year's resolution, rather anything interesting you (or someone you know) do on the actual first day of the year. Whether that means you balance your checkbook, buy all new clothes, clean the whole house ... or whatever.

I'm just looking for a few interesting people for my part in this.

So if anybody has something fun, funny, interesting, strange or quirky to add, I'd appreciate it. Email me back or call me and we can talk about it..."

[Yosemite_Wolf]

lobsters on new years eve

(gonna save that tradition this yr for later in the month)

[Mysteefied]

hehehe..got me thinking, not sure where it started, my grandparents I think, but we ALWAYS eat purple grapes on new years eve.
It's for good luck!

Maybe my mom can give you more background on that. hehe. We still do it, I have my kids eating them now.. http://oakhurstonline.com/icon/laugh.gif

[monkey]

My parents always made us eat sauerkraut on New Year's day for luck for the rest of the year. My sister in law's family has a tradition that whatever they do on the first day of the year, they will do the rest of the year. They live in Malibu, so they always go surfing. Parents and kids.http://smileys.smileycentral.com/cat/7/7_3_205.gifhttp://plugin.smileycentral.com/http%253A%252F%252Fimgfarm%252Ecom%252Fimages%252F nocache%252Ftr%252Ffw%252Fsmiley%252Fsocial%252Egi f%253Fi%253D7%252F7_3_205/image.gif (http://plugin.smileycentral.com/http%253A%252F%252Fwww.smileycentral.com%252F%253F partner%253DZSzeb008%255FZNxmk278CVUS%2526i%253D7% 252F7%255F3%255F205%2526feat%253Dprof/page.html)

[Keith]

On midnight,the 31st of December;

Stand Under an open sky and winter moon, enbrace my loved one ,for a last kiss of the year, and first kiss of the New Year http://oakhurstonline.com/icon/wink3.gif.

" Nothing is better than a Hug and a Kiss http://oakhurstonline.com/icon/blush.gif"

[Kahlua Kid]

I always trim/prune my rose bushes. (Got started with the Rose Parade I suppose). But have been doing it for over 15 years now.

I know that by getting rid/letting go of the old stems, we will await new beautiful buds and blooms in the spring!

Of course, this is New Year's Day. New Year's Eve is dancing with our friends and welcoming in the New Year together!

[mermomma]

WE do the "Burning Bowl" where we write things down we want to get rid of or let go...on small pieces of paper. Habits, bad memories something holding us back from moving on....
And then we burn the small pieces of paper in a bowl. IT helps to think about moving on in a new year!
I'm usually working though, being a bartender. So I do this on New Years Day.

[Dodgergirl]

Black eyed peas on New Years Day.
I used to make Tamales with my Dad on New Years Day, but not anymore.

[Yosemite_Wolf]

Originally posted by mermomma:
WE do the "Burning Bowl" where we write things down we want to get rid of or let go...on small pieces of paper. Habits, bad memories something holding us back from moving on....
And then we burn the small pieces of paper in a bowl. IT helps to think about moving on in a new year!
I'm usually working though, being a bartender. So I do this on New Years Day.

I like that Idea Mermomma!!!!

[beautiful_mess38]

I eat lobster with wolfie......

[Summer]

I'm with Monkey - growing up we always had pork and sauerkraut on New Years Day. I think it is a German tradition. Also - and I have no idea where it came from - but my family has always placed silver (usually coins) on the outside of the window sill before midnight so that they would still be there as the year changed. Supposed to bring good fortune in the new year.

[CatdaBrat]

My Italian family has a tradition of eating Bagna Calda every New Year's Day. The house smells like garlic and anchovies for a week after that.

[beautiful_mess38]

Hmmm what is Bagna Calda.....?

[feelinfroggie]

It is nice to see no one has a frog leg eating tradition

[CatdaBrat]

Originally posted by beautiful_mess38:
Hmmm what is Bagna Calda.....?

It translates into "hot bath" and is sorta pronounced "BAWNya CAHLdah." It's like a fondue sort of thing, made with lots of good-quality olive oil, crushed fresh garlic and anchovy fillets (they fall apart and blend in with the garlic).

You use fondue forks and set the table with platters of things such as raw cauliflower, apple chunks, celery, mushrooms, curly cabbage and strips of lean, raw beef (like roundsteak), plus tons of crusty French or Italian bread. Some people like cardoon or anise or bell peppers, too, but I don't. It gets washed down with wine, if you like it.

You spear some meat or veggies and dip or cook it in the hotpot, then use your chunk of bread to catch the drips as you remove the food to your plate. Yummmmmmmmmm

[Summer]

I was looking back over this thread and thought I would bring it up again in case we have other traditions out there. Funny how much a year can change your whole life. Anyhow, in addition to cooking the traditional pork & sauerkraut, putting silver out on the window ledge I think I want to add Mermomma's idea of writing down things we want to forget, that was bad, we want to change, etc. (I think anything negative) and burn them in a bowl. Then on New Years Day I will remove the silver from the window sill and go deposit them into the slots at Chukchansi!

[Ironhorse]

I read yesterday in the paper about back east somewhere, I can't remember where, they set up large paper shredders and people could shred all the bad paperwork they got this past year and get rid of the bad times, so to speak. They said that included unpaid bills! Surely they understand they have to still pay those bills, LOL. Hmmmm, maybe I'll drag my paper shredder out of the closet tomorrow.