When I posted on New Years Eve regarding my Mothers NYE cleaning habits which I have continued to do myself I had no idea as to where she aquired this "tradition"
Imagine my surprise when I received a comment on my blog from Judith in New Zealand who stated my mother must have scottish ancestry as this was a custom that her Mother and Father had as well.
I e-mailed her to say that it was true that I have Scottish ancestors and she sent me a copy about this custom.
Part of the information she sent me was---------
**During the day of Hogmanay the household would be busy cleaning so that the New Year could be welcomed into a tidy and neat house. It is considered ill luck to welcome in the New Year in a dirty uncleaned house. Fireplaces would be swept out and polished and some people would read the ashes of the very last fire of the year, to see what the New Year would hold. The act of cleaning the entire house was called the redding, ie getting ready for the New Year. **
To read the rest go to the link below
http://www.aboutaberdeen.com/hogmanaycustoms.php
Thank you Judith-----
Aren't bloggers wonderful people!!!
6 comments:
Amazing!! I wonder how they read the ashes......
Lise
Wonderful! How super to learn about your lifelong tradition. Val
I read about this tradition somewhere else recently. Makes sense to me....although I guess I'll have an untidy house in 2008 because mine wasn't very tidy on New Year's Eve!! I, too, wonder how you read the ashes! We've been having a fire in the fireplace almost every night lately. I had to take out a bucket of ashes just a couple of days ago. Now I'm curious about what they might have told me!!
Hi Doreen
What an amazing coincidence! maybe it's only the Scots that will have an untidy house all year, I hope so or mine'll be disgusting LOL
Thanks for dropping by my blog, Verity will be really pleased to have such lovely comments.
You have given the "Make My Day" award. See my blog for details.
How interesting! I obviously don't have ANY Scottish ancestry he heh...
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