December brings with it all the chaos of the holidays – the parties, the shopping, the family gatherings, the school concerts, the baking, and more. Yet, even though people get really busy during the holidays, time seems to fly through December…and before you know it, the countdown has begun and the ball is dropping, signifying that a new year has begun.
As the calendar presses on toward the end of the year, Ashbusters Nashville wants to help you ring in a new year with some great ideas on how to celebrate the good parts of last year and what will surely be many great parts of a new year. Around the world people will gather around their hearths and fireplaces to countdown the final seconds of the year.
At Ashbusters Nashville, our customers are familiar with all the blessings that come from owning a fireplace or wood stove that is well taken care of, regularly inspected, and kept clean and free of dangerous debris. Here are some of our favorite traditions from around the world – and some that you can observe around your wood stove or fireplace this New Year’s Eve. Need chimney or fireplace services? Call on us – we’re here to help.
Scotland: Hogmanay
Perhaps no one in the world knows how to celebrate New Year’s Eve like Scotland. Widely considered the most important holiday in the nation’s calendar, Hogmanay, which is the final day of the year, is celebrated throughout the nation.
In Edinburgh, the celebration lasts for three days and includes torchlight parades, street dances, fireworks, and flame throwing. Families throughout the city will open their homes up to party goers, so they can warm themselves by the fire before heading back into the streets to celebrate and be festive.
Philippines: 12 Spherical Fruits
On New Year’s Eve, 12 fruits in the shape of a sphere are served in front of fireplaces and around tables throughout the Philippines – one fruit for each month of the year. Each hour leading up to midnight, family members eat their fruit. The spherical shape represents prosperity, so the tradition holds that consuming the fruit will bring prosperity to the home for each month of the coming year.
Armenia: Consuming Your Wishes
Many people around the world make a wish at the stroke of midnight at the New Year, but in Armenia a tradition of wish-making takes things to a new level. Their New Year’s wishes are written on a piece of paper and then thrown into the fire. After the paper is consumed by the fire, the ashes from the paper are mixed into a New Year’s drink and then consumed by those who desire their wish come true.
Wales: Calennig
Though it isn’t widely celebrated anymore, this New Year’s tradition was as popular as gifts on Christmas throughout Wales. Throughout the day, children would go door to door throughout the community reciting poems and singing songs – and in return they would receive treats that included fruit on skewers. This fruit was often made to look beautiful and brought home and displayed on the hearth above the fireplace.
Cyprus: Lucky Cake
In Cyprus, the new year is ushered in along with a cake. This cake was meant to bring luck to the family. Often baked within the cake was a coin. When the cake was brought in, it was cut by the head of the family. If you were the lucky person who got the slice of cake with a coin in it, you would have good luck for the rest of the year.
America: A New Year’s Kiss
The United States has its own traditions, as well. These traditions are often borrowed from other global traditions and then recreated into something unique to America. One such tradition is the lucky kiss you get from your loved one as the clock strikes midnight.
All around the country friends and family gather together, often around the fireplace, to wait until the hour comes – and many places televise a large ball dropping at right at midnight. People countdown together as the ball drops. At the stroke of midnight it is tradition to kiss your loved one (or perhaps one that you hope will love you). This kiss is meant to bring good luck to the couple for the next year.
Happy New Year From the Ashbusters Team
Ashbusters Nashville knows that the most important traditions happen around the most important place in the home – the fireplace or wood stove. That is why we are so diligent about helping our community keep their home heating systems safe and ready for use. Our team of technicians are trained to inspect, clean, and repair chimneys and fireplaces, so that you can enjoy everything that your fireplace has to offer.
It’s time to start your own traditions for the New Year. Let us make sure your wood stove or fireplace is fit and ready to provide you the perfect place for your New Year’s Eve celebration. Call or schedule online with us now!