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Show ' f The Happiest New Year Of Them All I it's in the land of the kilts and the tartans w HATS Hogmanay ? way of calling the pigs? Youd better not make that in Scotland, for Hogma- TT A mi-ta- ke Scotlands particular rousing celebration of New Years. Twelfth Night and midwinter. all wrapped into one splendiferous and rousing celebration. It might be called the gianddaddy of all New Years Eve parties. What does it mean? Nobody know. Some say its from Norman French Aguilanneuf," but since nobody knows what that means, it's rather like begging tie question. nay THE CELEBRATION doesnt really start until midnight of New Year's Eve, then it swings First imp high gear with a Footing." You never heard of a first footing? Well, that Is an event which occurs in the wee sma hours of Newf Year's morning. A Firt foot" is literally the first pel son outside the family to ctoes the threshold of the bonce fie after the clock ha.-The year into ptesage what kind of year the new one L going to old be. For the be- -t of pen tent.-- die visitor. if a man. should be dark and handsome If a woman, she should be fair. IN EITHER should carry CAE. the hand-el- ." visitor or a gift, which may be anything from an otange to a bottle of whisky. You dont have to ask a Scot his ptefeienoe. but an first foot" will empty-handeand bring poveity privation, so even an orange is worthwhile. Assuming that the handsel" is in liquid form, the head of the house takes the fir- -t drink and then passes die bottle round the family. Thus fot titled, all attack the traditional Hogmanay fare; round shortbtead cake nipped round the edges to simulate the sun (the druids were responsible for this); and Black Bun, a superior port of mince pie con townsfolk dress up like Norsemen, their ancestors, and burn ceremonial boat. taining fruits, almonds, spices and brandy. WHAT HAPPENS after this is your own responsibility, but the Scots themselves ward off indigestion with music and dancing (with a capilal D). All visitors after midnight are now called Sometimes footers. first footers appear as (a mummer or a strolling player) and the greater the number of first foolers, the first gui-7ard- ld more honoied is the So nobody need be shy. the tartan Those "no bom may wonder whv the on the Scots lay such New Year, rattier than Christmas. To find the answer you have to flick back a page or two of history. The Vikings probably started tlie Yuietide festivities and die Christian reformers merely took it over and invested it with the dignity of the Feast of the Nativity. After (lie Reformation, the secular celebrations of Christmas and Twelfth Night wete banned, almost at the same time as New Years day was altered from March 25 to January 1. Thus tlie cainhal spirit of Christmas and Twelfth Night was transferred to Now Years Eve, and m Scotland, lias remained so ever since. hou-eho- WHERE THE STRAXCE word Hogmanay comes from, as we mentioned, noimdy decided. Another wild guess is that it moan- - homme e- -t A Man - Bain." fiom ne a French caiol. hut the ctymo ha-qu- ite logical point scorn.-Anyway it moans fun and fe-- ti vnl to tlie Sint. who include- - in his Yule both Clni-tmand Now Year, foimoily known as tlie Daft Days." Daft" in Seal tish, by the way. moan.- - gay or giddy. Its only tlio phlegmatic Sassenach that lias made tlie word mean eccentric or ciay. Neither giie'v nor giddiness as Hogmanay time. Here The Salt time for fun, jollity, dancing and Scots dress and general great Glasgow is formal Hogmanay Ball. Most celebrations are in homes. is in I.aWe Tribune, Sumfvy. lerember -- !. l!Xi$ quite dee.ite Mime of tlie old j and ancient customs that color tlie festive season in Scotland. On Jan. 12 at Burghead, Morayshire, they preserve tlie pagan Yule-fire- s with Hie Burning at the Clavie. Tlie Clavie is a barrel, which is lit with a flaming brand and carried round the town. It is then rolled down a local hillside where villagers scramble foe the burning embers as tar-fille- d luek-bringe- rs. Tlie men of Stonehaven, Kincardineshire, march tluough tl streets swinging fir .'balls of tallowed rope and, all over Scotland, bonfires bla7e, burning thp Old Year out. THE PEOPLE L a n a r ksbire. OF Bigg.r, appropi iateiy share the claim with Wick, Caithness, that their bonfires are bigger and boiler ttian trie rest. But you have to t.ke tlie trip to the remote Shetland Island to see what is perhaps tlie finest Fire Festival of all. Its ca'l.-- i and takes plaow at tlie end of January in l.er- iok. Here a replica of a Not -- e galley is towed to trie pierhead complete with crew of Viking in helmets and mail, can vim flaming torclie.--. A gun - food from the fort, ro ket- - soar front the ships in harlior and at ti e signal of a bugle call, four or five hundred spaikttail.- - arc down the night, a- - tonic- - are tossed into tlie galley Ftom this tunc on alt I er-- u iok breaks loose with litas- - and pipe bands, traditional songs, dancing, toasting and meuy-makin- g. Private houses ace thrown open to all comers ami, shm. the net day, the Lerwick sleep- 5 |