❄️ January: New Beginnings & Hogmanay Celebrations 🎇🎶
Happy New Year, festive friends! 🎉
January marks a fresh start — a time for reflection, resolutions, and... more celebrations!
Let’s explore how English-speaking countries ring in the New Year, with a special focus on Scotland’s Hogmanay.
🎆 New Year’s Eve Traditions (UK, USA, Australia...)
Across English-speaking countries, the night of December 31st is full of joy, music, and fireworks. At midnight, people often:
-
Count down the last seconds of the year
-
Sing “Auld Lang Syne”, a Scottish poem set to music 🎶
-
Kiss someone they love 💋
-
Watch fireworks or a big event like New York’s Times Square ball drop 🎇
-
Toast with champagne or sparkling cider 🥂
🏴 Spotlight: Hogmanay (Scotland)
In Scotland, New Year’s Eve is called Hogmanay — and it’s a big deal! In some places, the celebrations are even bigger than Christmas.
Hogmanay traditions include:
-
Torchlight parades through the streets 🔥
-
Singing Auld Lang Syne at midnight
-
“First-footing”: the first person to enter a home after midnight brings luck (traditionally a tall, dark-haired man with a gift of coal or whisky)
-
Eating black bun – a spiced fruit cake wrapped in pastry 🍰
In Edinburgh, there’s a famous street party with concerts, fireworks, and dancing!
📝 New Year’s Vocabulary:
-
Resolution – a personal goal for the new year
-
Countdown – the final seconds before midnight
-
Fireworks – colourful explosions to celebrate
-
First-footing – a Scottish tradition for good luck
-
Toast – to raise your glass and make a wish or statement
💭 Common New Year’s Resolutions in English:
-
“I want to eat healthier.” 🥗
-
“I’m going to learn something new.” 📚
-
“This year, I’ll save more money.” 💰
-
“I’ll be more active and exercise regularly.” 🏃
What’s your resolution?
🧣 Winter Recipe: Hot Apple Cider (Non-alcoholic)
Warm up with this comforting drink:
Ingredients:
-
1L apple juice
-
2 cinnamon sticks
-
4 cloves
-
Orange peel
-
Honey (optional)
Instructions:
Heat everything in a pot for 10–15 minutes. Strain and serve hot. Perfect for a cold winter day!
✂️ Craft Idea: Make a Resolution Jar
What you need:
-
A glass jar
-
Paper strips
-
A pen
-
Decorations (stickers, ribbon...)
Write one goal or hope per strip and add it to the jar. Open one each month for motivation!
🎉 January is about letting go of the past and embracing the future — with tradition, celebration, and a little Scottish magic.
🎭 Next month: love, pancakes, and a groundhog?
February is full of surprises… stay with us!
Cheers to a festive year,
The Festivities Team
No comments:
Post a Comment