City Year and L.A. Clippers host gift-giving event for children at schools in the Watts area. Read More »
Required Pack: City Living, Island Living and Seasons Main GoalHave a DrinkGoalsTalk to SomeoneTell JokesGrab a DrinkEat SomethingDanceLight FireworksToast to New YearWatch New Years CountdownMake …
Stockholm's subway has been called the world's longest art gallery. Discover beautiful art hidden underground on this ultimate self-guided tour of Stockholm subway art.
Hogmanay is Scotland's New Year's Eve celebration. This is a very festive event, in the large cities it is a massive street party. Some of the festivities include torch processions, fireworks, bagpipes and large bonfires. The Scots seem to celebrate New Year better than anywhere else in the world! New Year's Eve is a busy day preparing to see the old year out and the new year in. There are several things that are involved in preparing for Hogmanay. "Redding" the house - cleaning the house before midnight is traditional, as is cleaning out the fireplace. Many believed that they could read the ashes to know what to expect from the coming year. Another tradition called the "Saining" of the household involved the woman of the house purifying each room with a smoldering juniper branch. People also believed that all debts and loans should be paid off before the New Year began. Entering the new year with outstanding debts was considered unlucky. Fire plays a big part in Hogmanay. In addition to the torch light processions bonfires are very popular. The use of fire to purify and drive away evil spirits is an ancient idea. It is believed that they cannot have a new year until the old year has gone. Fire is used to "burn up" the old year and make way for the new year. In some towns dummies are made and burned in effigy to symbolize the old year being burned away and letting in the new year. As in many countries the stroke of midnight brings kissing, well wishing and the singing of Auld Lang Syne. Another Hogmanay custom is First Footing. It literally means the "first foot" to step into a house in the new year. After midnight, neighbors visit each other, bearing traditional symbolic gifts such as whisky, salt, shortbread, coal and black bun. These gifts were to ensure the household would be safe, warm and have enough to eat for the year. The visitor, in turn, is offered a food and a wee dram of whisky. In order for the household to have good luck in the coming year the "first foot" over the threshold should be a dark haired male. Redheads and blondes, especially women, were considered bad luck. In the morning the first person awake is supposed to take the Het Pint to the other family members. Het Pint is a mixture of ale, nutmeg, eggs, sugar and whisky. This should give us an idea of the exuberant celebration that occurs for Hogmanay. New Year's Eve fire ~ after cleaning the ashes Our Hogmanay celebration consisted of "redding the house" and Scottish food. Considering we are in a rental house we figured huge bonfires might not be a great idea. I did want to go First Footing in our new neighborhood. Since no one knows us it would have been great fun to knock on their doors after midnight. But we restrained ourselves....maybe next year in our next neighborhood! At our old house we had neighbors where the women was a redhead and the man tall and dark. She would come over to our house and spend the evening with us on New Year's Eve. When her husband got off of work he would come over to our house, arriving after midnight to be our "first footer". Those were good years so the luck seems to work! For dinner we had steak pie.... Scottish Steak Pie mashed rutabagas and carrots..... Mashed Rutabagas and carrots Cullen Skink.... Not only is it fun to tell your family you are having "Cullen Skink" for dinner but it tastes good too! It is a thick soup made with potatoes, onions and smoked haddock. I had some trouble finding smoked haddock but eventually was able to get it. The smoked haddock provides most of the flavor of the soup so I'm not sure how well another fish would work. Cullen Skink For dessert we had shortbread and Cranachan... Cranachan is a dessert made with raspberries, oatmeal, whipped cream, honey and whisky. Cranachan Cranachan oatcakes and Scottish cheese a wee dram whisky for Hogmanay not Scottish, but part of our traditions ~ champagne, Chambord, raspberries a Hogmanay blessing 'til next time...
Required Pack: City Living, Island Living and Seasons Main GoalHave a DrinkGoalsTalk to SomeoneTell JokesGrab a DrinkEat SomethingDanceLight FireworksToast to New YearWatch New Years CountdownMake …
WASHINGTON (AP) -- Regulators on Friday shut down three banks in Puerto Rico, two in...
A listing of schedule of events in Ottawa for Canada Day.
Planning some city scavenger hunts for family fun or for a party? Here is a free printable that's perfect for any age plus ideas to create your own!
Downtown is where you'll find tons of Seattle Christmas events for families. From the Nutcracker to Winterfest here's Seattle holiday events.
More holiday updates from info about some of the church Christmas Events Roseville CA area offers plus city closures, sweet music and more
There's still plenty of things to look forward to in Norwich & Norfolk this year! Check out our rundown of amazing events & activities.
Planning your New Years Eve 2024 in Istanbul Turkey may not necessarily make your hopes come true, rather it is above your hopes and even your wildest dreams
More than half of Aotearoa’s homeless are under the age of 25 and governmental policies are not only perpetuating youth homelessness, they are making it worse.
On September 25, Dobrich is celebrating its city holiday. The date is not chosen by accident. In September 1940, with the Krayov Agreement, Southern Dobrudja, including Dobrich, joined Bulgaria. 50 years later, the name of the city was changed from Tolbuhin to Dobrich, and the holiday is celebrated ever since. This year residents and guests of the city will be able to enjoy the performances of the hitmaker Krisko. On September 25, Dobrich is celebrating its city holiday. The date is not chosen by accident. In September 1940, with the Krayov Agreement, Southern Dobrudja, including Dobrich, joined Bulgaria. 50 years later, the name of the city was changed from Tolbuhin to Dobrich, and the holiday is celebrated ever since. This year residents and guests of the city will be able to enjoy the performances of the hitmaker Krisko.
Why silence might be just what we need from our travels in 2024
Get all the information you need for your trip to Scotland! Book accommodation, discover new places to visit, find amazing things to do and more!
BRITS are set to save more than £2,000 this year – by cutting back on fun moments with friends and family. A poll of 2,000 adults found eating out at restaurants, holidays and even going to g…
Auckland festivals range from foodie feasts to on water excitement with something unique to do nearly every weekend. Here are our favourites.
Mayor LaToya Cantrell put New Orleans on notice Tuesday that the festivals and major events postponed by the coronavirus outbreak may not be happening this year at all.
Der Winterkarneval in Québec feiert 2024 sein 70-jähriges Jubiläum mit einem 18-tägigen Winterspaß und kuriosen sportlichen Events.
A huge celebration of 'culinary diversity' in Exhibition Park from May 4-6 has been three years in the planning, say organisers
From craft beer festivals to holiday lightings and everything in between, mark your calendar with some of Kansas City's largest and most unique happenings on tap for the year.
Archtober Festival 2021 is well underway, New York City‘s annual architecture and design festival that’s now in its eleventh year. Organized by the Center for Architecture in collaboration with over 70 partners and sponsors, the festival celebrates all things architectural design in NYC, and beyond. This year, Archtober features a range of in-person and virtual events, from daily building tours and lectures by design experts, to architecture-themed competitions and parties.
