A New Year, When Looking Backwards is Looking Forwards

Well folks, the end of the year is approaching and there’s no better time to reflect on the last 12 months. We have managed to stay strong through some pretty huge challenges, and continue spreading messages and education around the prosperity of people and planet. There is no doubt that our commitment is growing even stronger as we welcome in 2022, and our B-Corp certification certainly was a wonderful way to top it all off.

Our traditions are so powerful they have influenced New Years celebrations all around the world. It’s brilliant to know that Auld Lang Syne is sung and whisky drams are drunk in many countries, and we’d like to take a wee moment to shed light on some more Scottish NYE traditions, cause why not eh!

First there’s swimming the ‘Loony Dook’ – this is certainly a tradition for whacky rebels! It involves putting on some form of fancy dress and throwing oneself into icy water on the first day of January! Traditionally this takes place at the Firth of Forth, just outside of Edinburgh and is done whilst bagpipes are played.  It was in 1987 when the Loony Dook began, as a hilarious attempt by a group of locals to cure a hangover! Now it attracts participants from all over the world. If you fancy giving it a go wherever you are, do send us a video aha

Then there’s ‘Redding the house’ which is like a big Spring clean, but we do it to welcome in the new year. Traditionally Scots believe that it’s bad luck to start the new year with a dirty house

Lastly, we have ‘First Footing’ which dates back to ancient times and stems from the Gaelic practice of ‘qualtagh’. It’s where Scottish households welcome strangers (and friends) through their doors, intending to ensure good fortune for the coming year. Traditionally the first footer should be someone who was not in the home at the strike of midnight – which means typically someone has to leave the party just before the bells… so they can knock after! That ‘someone’ by tradition needs to be a dark-haired male (it is thought fair-haired people were not associated with good fortune following the Viking invasions) and should not be a doctor or minister due to their associations with illness and death. Also, the first footer must bring gifts with them, as traditionally folk would come bearing bread, salt, a lump of coal, whisky and a coin – representing prosperity, food, flavour, warmth and good cheer… all things that we would hope for in the coming year!

So, whether you’re doing a deep clean, first-footing, jumping into icy water… or just sitting back with a dram, all of us here in the Prickly Thistle team wish you (and our precious mother nature) good health and happiness, as we flourish into 2022!

Slainte

Clare & the PTS family

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