Page 33 - 201001SEA - The 'X' Chronicles Newspaper - January 2010 SE

NewYeaarsEdition200912_june_july_2009.qxd 16/12/2009 2:32 PM Page 33 33 New Year’s Traditions 33 New Year’s Traditions New Year's traditions New Year's traditions hail from the depths of hail from the depths of antiquity antiquity If your head really hurts on New Year's Day, you could point your finger at the Babylonians who started this new year revelry nonsense. Though the ancient Romans added the idea of alcoholic excess, or at least perfected it. Julius Caesar fixed the start of the year on Jan. 1 by letting the previous year run to 445 days rather than the traditional 365. The Roman citizenry made their winter festival Saturnalia a celebration without rules. So, let's blame the Romans. Any way you slice it, New Year's is among the very oldest and most persistent of human celebrations. The western world celebrates the new year on Jan. 1 in the early weeks of winter, which is about as sensible as a wooden fireplace. For some thousands of years before Julie and the Roman Senate got involved, the from the ancients. Awkward is not the tone you want to set new year was celebrated with the first edible Ancient Egyptian and Greek societies for a whole year. crops of the season or the first new moon. paraded a baby around to symbolize the new In much of India, Nava Varsha is year, at the end of winter when the crops Lucky foods for New Year's feasting celebrated in March or April, just as in the most sprouted, not the beginning when we do it. ancient civilizations. Baby New Year remains a popular Pick a country and run with it or create a Sikhs celebrate Hola Mohalla in March; symbol and turns up at celebrations even today. menu from the whole list. Avoid anything that ditto for Persian Nowruz. TV and print newsrooms still fall all over moves backwards, such as chicken, turkey or As celebrated in China and Southeast themselves to find the first baby of the new year lobster. You don't want to start the year moving Asia, Lunar New Year still has a floating date, and your local chamber of commerce probably backwards. the first day of the first lunar month. showers the lucky infant with gifts. *Black-eyed peas - A favourite for New That brand of rhythm with the earth and Father Time, who symbolizes the Year, simmer them with hog jowls to make a moon stuff is just a little too hocus-pocus for the passage of time and the death of the old year, is dish called Hoppin John and eat with rice. stiffs that run the western world. We like fixed a much more complex creature. African slaves survived on these legumes, dates, Gaia be damned. His most ancient manifestations come making them a potent symbol of survival. The Babylonians celebrated with a feast from India. Yama the god of death and justice is *Cabbage - Braised and buttered or used and by returning borrowed farm equipment as it described in the Vedas and the Upanishads, as a wrap, cabbage and collards are meant to would soon be needed to work the fields. making him at least 3,500 years old and resemble money and bring fortune in Denmark In fact, feasting on lucky foods is the probably much older. and the southern United States. most ancient new year tradition and one that is Yama maintains order in the afterworld *Pork - Roasted is best and a symbol of mostly lost on young Canadians who often opt and assigns people their reincarnations, prosperity. Pork is a staple of New Year's dining for the boozing and vomiting option. sometimes as a richer and more powerful in Austria, Germany, Portugal and Spain, plus (How many tuxedos and sequined party person, other times a cockroach. any country any of them colonized (i.e. all of dresses have to die before we learn our lesson?) As the ruler of death and new South America). The new year celebration is an beginnings, Yama has profoundly influenced *Fish - In China and northern and observance of the earth's ability to renew itself later precursors of Father Time such as Rome's western Europe fish is traditional and a symbol and sustain us for another year. In agrarian Pluto, Chronos, the Greek god of time, and the of fertility. In Japan, eat herring roe. societies - that used to be all societies - foods Grim Reaper of English and northern European *Jaiozi - These Chinese dumplings are were the most potent of all new year's symbols. tradition. sometimes made after supper to eat late in the "It's as simple as new year equals more He is a kindly looking old fellow these evening. They symbolize wealth. food equals party," said Toronto literary days, sometimes depicted holding Baby New *Grapes - In Spain, Portugal Italy and researcher Gordon Timmis. "And that basic Year, but few mothers in the ancient world South America 12 grapes are eaten to ensure equation persisted from the most ancient times would have willingly handed their infant to such future prosperity. Ditto for pomegranate. right through the Middle Ages to modern times, a being. *Shortbread, oat cake, fruitcake - In despite the best efforts of the Christian churches At the stroke of midnight, as the old year Scotland these are given as gifts when first- to snuff it out." passes into the new, only one tradition is left: footing, the custom of being first through the No matter what the date, most cultures the kiss. door in the new year. [] older than ours plan the party around food and not blue martinis. Thank the Romans. Again. In Norse tradition, the month-long Yule celebration ended around the new year with a They loved kissing and incorporated it blow-out feast of Viking proportions. into their Solstice and Saturnalia celebrations. Chinese New Year is marked with a Thus kissing as a New Year's Eve tradition large multi-course meal. persists today in most of their empire and, as a In Scotland, Hogmanay is celebrated for result, it has spread throughout the new world. at least two or three, even four days, and guests The kiss is meant to set the tone for the are expected to bring whisky or fruitcake to new year, so be careful who you are standing every person they visit. near when the clock strikes 12. Pick a loved Non-food related symbols come to us one.