Hae a Guid Hogmanay Aabody <G>

Welcome to a downright miserable wet, windy, freezing cold horrible day...Am guessing that the celebrations on main street in town will get called off :o(  Funny cos we have Wet Wet Wet headlining the concert for hogmanay here...I never take the boys down anyways as they can't cope with the crowds...For those who read specimen days (staurts journal) he's mentioned the fireball ceremony in Stonehaven which is 14 miles south of aberdeen where i am...Found a pic online which i've posted above...Also found origins of the ceremony online...Well what they think the origins of it are.

The ceremony dates from a fishermen's festival in the 19th century but these torch processions can be dated back to before Christianity. There are other theories on the significance of the festival:

1. That it coincides with the winter solstice and the fireballs swinging relate to the sun.

2. A pre-Christian theory that the fireballs purify the world by consuming evil and warding off witches and evil spirits.

3. That some time in the Dark Ages a shooting star appeared above what is now Stonehaven. Thereafter, by coincidence, the living nearby may have had bumper crops. The seers of the tribe then attributed this prosperity to the coming of the shooting star. The Fireball is a mimic of the coming of the shooting star and prosperity.

Everyone i know who has gone to it has said it is spectacular...But a lot of locals don't go anymore as they've seen it too often...It also got a mention when the millennium year happened as being one of THE main hogmanay events to go worldwide...It attracts thousands of visitors to the small stonehaven village and it is far far too crowded for me to contemplate taking the boys too...Way the weather is today i wouldn't be surprised if it was called off but then again i can't ever recall it being cancelled regardless of how bad the rain has been...A friend of mine was one of the fireball swingers but sadly he was tragically killed in a motorbike accident earlier this year or late last year...He was always so proud to be chosen to take part too...Website about it if anyone fancies having a look  http://www.stonehavenfireballs.co.uk/

The Burning of the Clavie in Burghead is another ancient fire festival associated with new year...Stuart mentioned it too LOL...It actually takes place on january 11th...Reason being that when we chanegd from Julian to the Gregorian calendar we lost 11 days in the year...So instead of protesting Burghead decided to celebrate New Year twice...They kept the Burning of the Clavie on the day it had always been on hence 11th jan...The other main fire festival that i know of is Up Helly Aa in shetland...That takes place on the last tuesday in january and they build a replica viking boat then burn it...Hundreds of men dressed as vikings parade through Lerwick carrying burning staves then throw them into the boat when they reach it.

Need a fire here today it is so cold and miserable...Pal took me to asda earlier and it was jam packed...That particular asda used to be, dunno if still is, the busiest asda on hogmanay in whole of the UK and sold most alcohol...Hmmm does that mean aberdoanians are a bunch od drunkards LOL...Not being aberdonian i can't possibly comment...Funny as i have lived here longer now than where i was born and brought up but would never consider myself to be aberdonian...I have to venture out to local co-op to the cash machine and buy some gas...It's chucking it down something chronic and i don't want to go <sob> If i don't we'll have an even colder hogmanay though LOL...Me and my ex used to have a big party for all our friends on jan1st...One year there was burst pipes in the area where our friend who had hogmanay party lived...So me being me promptly invited everyone to ours ROFL...After that we always had hogmanay party and flat would be bursting full of people...Funnily enuff the boys coped with that no problem but they were used to it and it was part of the routine which is why they probs liked it...The first ever Hogmanay when i went out first footing was when i was 18 i think...Went out with my big bro (he wasn't an idiot back then) and all his mates...Remember my big sis phoning her pals at about 2am, then 3am, then 3.30am wondering when we were gonna turn up at hers...We eventually got to hers at about 4am...To be met at the door by my then 2 year old nephew wishing us a Happy New Year...His dad had gone to bed and he woke up and got up LOLOLOL...Was so funny watching one of my bros pals who was rather drunk playing with this kid on the floor in front of real fire...My dad liked Hogmanay and sometimes had neighbours round to first foot...Dad died 20 years ago on 4th jan and i always miss him terribly on hogmanay :o(  His birthday, christmas day and actual anniversary of his death don't bother me much now but always gets to me today...Was very close to him and i always like to think he's my guardian angel and what has kept me strong over the years dealing with the boys...I'd like to think he would have been accepting of them and been proud of how much they have improved, changed and achieved over the years

Have a very Happy New Year everyone and may your celebrations whatever they are go well...Me and the boys will just stay up till after midnight then probs go to bed...Hmmm last year was attempts at murdering various songs on PS2 singing star game...As i've woken today full of cold then i think not this year <ggg>

Jan (serendipity) got me the dragon/fairy tag below so big thank you Jan :o) Toodle pip till next year and as we say up here 'Lang mae yer lum reek' everyone :o) (translations for that and the header can be found online LOL)