I'm Not Crazy, I Am Just Houseproud---Joyce Meyer

Without Prejudice

I was born an " Edinburgh Housewife" . Apparently according to my Mother an Edinburgh Housewives first task of the day was to shine her front step. Other housewives were judgemental on how shiny your front step was. It had to be red, polished to within an inch of its life with special polish made for the task. One can only imagine visitors carefully stepping over the threshold rather than skidding on it and breaking their neck.

I know that at the dawning of the new year, Hogmanay, the first visitor over the step should be dark, male,carrying a lump of coal, shortbread, whiskey and black bun and hopefully is wearing non slip shoes.

While New Year's Eve is celebrated around the world, the Scots have a long rich heritage associated with this event - and have their own name for it, Hogmanay.

There are many theories about the derivation of the word "Hogmanay". The Scandinavian word for the feast preceding Yule was "Hoggo-nott" while the Flemish words (many have come into Scots) "hoog min dag" means "great love day". Hogmanay could also be traced back to the Anglo-Saxon, Haleg monath, Holy Month, or the Gaelic, oge maidne, new morning. But the most likely source seems to be the French. "Homme est né" or "Man is born" while in France the last day of the year when gifts were exchanged was "aguillaneuf" while in Normandy presents given at that time were "hoguignetes". Take your pick!

In Scotland a similar practice to that in Normandy was recorded, rather disapprovingly, by the Church.

"It is ordinary among some Plebians in the South of Scotland, to go about from door to door upon New Year`s Eve, crying Hagmane."  
Scotch Presbyterian Eloquence, 1693. 

Hogmanay Traditional Celebrations
Historians believe that we inherited the celebration from the Vikings who, coming from even further north than ourselves, paid even more attention to the passing of the shortest day. In Shetland, where the Viking influence was strongest, New Year is called Yules, from the Scandinavian word.

It may not be widely known but  Christmas was not celebrated as a festival and virtually banned in Scotland for around 400 years, from the end of the 17th century to the 1950s. The reason for this has its roots in the Protestant Reformation when the Kirk portrayed Christmas as a Popish or Catholic feast and therefore had to be banned. Many Scots had to work over Christmas and their winter solstice holiday was therefore at New Year when family and friends gathered for a party and exchange presents, especially for the children, which came to be called hogmanay.

There are traditions before midnight such as cleaning the house on 31st December (including taking out the ashes from the fire in the days when coal fires were common). There is also the superstition to clear all your debts before "the bells" at midnight.

Immediately after midnight it is traditional to sing Robert Burns' "For Auld Lang Syne". Burns claimed it was based on an earlier fragment and certainly the tune was in print over 80 years before he published his version in 1788.

"Should auld acquaintance be forgot and never brought to mind?
Should auld acquaintance be forgot and auld lang syne
For auld lang syne, my dear, for auld lang syne,
We'll take a cup o kindness yet, for auld lang syne." 

An integral part of the Hogmanay partying, which continues very much today, is to welcome friends and strangers, with warm hospitality to wish everyone a Guid New Year. The underlying belief is to clear out the vestiges of the old year, have a clean break and welcome in a young, New Year on a happy note.

"First footing" (that is, the "first foot" in the house after midnight) is not as common as it used to be in Scotland. To ensure good luck for the house, the first foot should be male, dark (believed to be a throwback to the Viking days when blond strangers arriving on your doorstep meant trouble) and should bring symbolic coal, shortbread, salt, black bun and whisky. These days, however, whisky and perhaps shortbread are the only items still prevalent (and available).

I have inherited the house proud tendencies of the Edinburgh Housewife and am more than ever like it today. The trouble is I live in a much larger dwelling than the Scottish housewives and have a wooden front step. No polishing with brick dust for me. 

Knowing how fierce the female Scot can be I heed the traditions and have to have everything spotless. And I mean spotless. I Thank God for having worked at The Sheraton Mirage in a former life and was paid for ten days to learn how to clean one room, to a five star standard. The tips and tricks I learned there would stand me in good stead for the rest of my life and I didn't learn then until I had just turned 40.

The trouble is with perfectionism is that it can slow you down. I clean my abode sans glasses as if I see every bit of dust and dirt I want to clean it which fixes my eye on the small detail and not the whole picture. 

Most days I rise at 5am and after checking the garden and outside is ok I perform my ablutions then I turn on the telly as background noise ( we always did this at the Sheraton) and start housework to the background words of the evangelists. I especially love Joyce Meyer. And Joel Osteen. They inspire me.

It takes me half an hour and serves two purposes, it tidies my house, leaving it gleaming and spotless and soothes any worries or anxiety I feel. Instead of hating it as I did when I was the stay at home Mum of four. Then it was a boring, dreaded task and now I breeze through it. I use a timer and often am finished before the half hour is up. You should try it if you hate housework. I guarantee it works. 

Enjoy your day,

Nettie