We may complain about Christmas — the clichés, the pressures, the commercialization, the traffic and the expense of celebrating this yearly event. But there is so much to love about the Christmas season. It’s a picturesque wonderland like a tinsel town as houses everywhere are dressed up in awe-inspiring lighting.
For many of us Christmas is about joy, family and old traditions such as singing Christmas carols and going to candlelight services. We cherish and maintain all these customs and, of course, include the jolly bearded man in the red suit whose work is finished around midnight December 24.
When the big festive day and the hectic (shopping for bargains) Boxing Day are behind us, we begin celebration plans to merrily ring in a New Year.
All around the world people rejoice the dawn of a New Year with parties and feasting. People everywhere, hoping for health and prosperity eat foods that are considered to be lucky, or, a traditional food or treat that’s eaten as they ring in the coming year.
In some countries, pigs are a lucky symbol and pork is eaten to ring in the New Year. Because pigs root forward while they forage for food (as opposed to cows, who stand still, or chickens, who scratch backwards), pork in all forms is enjoyed by many hoping to embrace the challenges of the coming year.
Kissing your beloved at midnight New Year’s Eve parties is a very common tradition. At the midnight hour couples do the big smooch. Old tradition says kissing your beloved at midnight is to ensure that the love and affection remains steadfast all through the year.
Noisemaking and fireworks on New Year’s Eve is believed to have originated in ancient times, when noise and fire were thought to ward off evil spirits and bring good luck.
The habit of taking a bath in the sauna is a very old and important New Year’s Eve tradition of Finland. After preparing the house for the New Year’s Day, it is the custom to go to a sauna on New Year’s Eve. This was probably practised to clean and purify oneself before beginning the new moments of the upcoming year.
New Year’s Eve and New Year’s Day in Holland is called Oud en Nieuw (Old and New). Oudejaarsavond (old year’s evening) is usually celebrated as a cozy evening with family and friends. Traditional snack foods are oliebollen (oil dumplings), appelbeignets (apple slice fritters), advokaat, a rich and alcoholic kind of pudding, and pickled herring. People of Dutch descent are known to enjoy them on those two special days.
Eating fish on the first day of a new year is thought to symbolize good luck. Norwegians start the day with various kinds of pickled herring. Germans eat herring and carp. In Poland it’s pickled herring. The Danes eat boiled cod and herring. In Italy they eat dried and salted cod. Eating pork or cabbage on New Year’s Day is a tradition in some countries. The Swedes have a seafood salad.
The Europeans are experts in preparing seafood. Dutch and Danish herring is known for its excellence. If you’re not from European descent, you most likely won’t like pickled herring
You could say I’m a connoisseur when it comes to herring. Making pickled herring is an old tradition in our family. You can also buy the ready-made herring. Homemade pickled beets are also a favourite treat at this time of the year.
Whatever your favourite traditional treats are, it’s also a wonderful time to reflect on 2016 and to look ahead to 2017 with eager anticipation for a year filled with hopes and dreams. Have a blessed Christmas.
