Friday, January 2, 2009

First Foot


I like all these customs that involve a little bit of superstition. I wouldn't think about not having Hoppin' John and collard greens on New Year's Day. The collards are really smelly though and require an airing out of the house after they are cooked. Otherwise, it smells like a barnyard or something worse.

I also like the old traditions like First Footing. In British folk lore, the first foot is the first person to cross the threshold of a home on New Year's Day and is a bringer of good fortune for the coming year.

Although it is acceptable in many places for the first-footer to be a resident of the house, they must not be in the house at the stroke of midnight in order to first-foot (thus going out of the house after midnight and then coming back in to the same house is not considered to be first-footing). The first-foot is traditionally a tall, dark-haired male; a female or fair-haired male are in some places regarded as unlucky.

The first-foot usually brings several gifts, including perhaps a coin, bread, salt, coal, or a drink which respectively represent financial prosperity, food, flavor, warmth, and good cheer. Did you have a first footer at your house?

I think that we messed this up on New Year's Day as I left the house and came back in after midnight. Maybe that's why yesterday, the bad luck started with the internet going out at home. I decided to install a new more powerful router and in the process discovered that the phone jacks weren't active in area where I wanted to install it. So I missed everyone's blogs yesterday and am just now catching up.

All else is going well. And after a few electronic tweaks, the internet is up and going.

Superstitions aside, I'm ever mindful of my powerlessness over people, places and things. Looking forward to this second day of 2009 and all that it has to bring.

20 comments:

  1. I didnt know that one syd, going out before midnight and coming back after midnight is bad luck on new years eve.
    Christmas has been like medicine to me, its been like convelesing in hospital ive loved it and feel much more relaxed as a result.
    Christmas really though is just normal days its all in our collective heads is the madness

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  2. Glad you're back in action. I think you have posted some other pics of yourself before...but I'm not sure? Is this a picture of yourself? We were at our neighbor's house on New Year's Eve. Therefore, I believe my husband was the first across the threshold? or possibly I was...or our daughter Clementine? I hope we'll all have good luck in 2009. Thank you for commenting on my blog. You are so great at keeping in touch with everyone. Great for recovery I'm sure. I will continue to read and grow in my recovery by reading what you write. Your words are dead-on, whether they are happy, sad or just the facts....I am very grateful for blog friends like you. Happy 2009.

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  3. This is crazy, but I do not remember who came or went first at our house!

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  4. First Footing...I would have felt pretty lucky if a tall, dark-harded dude crossed my threshold on New Year. How about hanging around my black jack table...does that count? Probably not.

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  5. What is Hoppin' John?

    Well, my husband was the first in the house this afternoon. He's not exactly tall, and his hair's a medium brown. He did carry in some of our Christmas gifts. I think we qualify.

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  6. ......I love your stories... I never heard of this one...

    Thank you for sharing it.....

    And thank you for being a good role model to all......to concentrate on pleasant things..

    Learning something new each day really is a pleasure now that I'm feeling recovery and enjoying the beautiful of this world more and more...

    Life is Beautiful......(except for cellulite)-just joking.. I'm in a good quirky mood..lol.. after I exercise I get full of endophines..and silly at times..

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  7. never heard of that...my son would have been the first footer in our house and he is tall thought not so dark...and he didn't bring anything but an appetite for brunch which we went out to enjoy. Happy New Year...and thanks for being here...

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  8. I know who that handsome guy is...

    I made hoppin' john yesterday for the first time in my life.

    My first footer was a dark haired 5 year old girl! And I can't think of anyone I would rather grace my door.

    Happy New Year.

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  9. I'll have to try this First Footing thing next year. Too late for this year.

    Happy New Year to you Syd.

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  10. I think our first footer was our pug Peyton who brings many gifts with him such as love andan amazing facewithmany joyful features.

    Great pic...

    G

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  11. oh no! superstitions... once i know about them, i'm done in. gotta follow them through, JUST IN CASE...

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  12. That was very interesting. Seeing how I was born on Friday the 13th and have a black cat, I am not the least bit superstitious!

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  13. I love your stories!!

    Happy New Year!

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  14. I love the 1st footer tradition. Ours was one of the kindest ladies to our family. She brought a meal, presants and kicked my wife and I out of the house.....
    FOR A DATE! She loves our kids like they were her own grandchildren. Who could ask for a better sitter than that. What a blessed start to the new year. Alone and spoiled with my bride!
    Fish

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  15. I am fond of superstitions and like to hear what other people believe they have to do or the world will cave in.

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  16. Glad you're up and running on the Internet, Syd. If you really love Collards (smell and all) then you've passed the test to be a Southerner. (I like the black eyed peas and pork but can leave the collards to others.)

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Let me know what you think. I like reading what you have to say.