Inner Bitchins

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In many Christian-based religions the first day of Christmas is Christmas day and is the beginning of “Little Christmas”, also known as Nollaig Bheag (Irish – Scotish – Gaelic) or many call it “The Feast of The Epiphany”.

• The first day is the 25th of December which is Christmas Day.
• The second day is the 26th of December.
• The third day is the 27th of December.
• The fourth day is the 28th of December.
• The sixth day is the 30th of December.
• The seventh day is the 31st of December which is New Year’s Eve on the Gregorian Calendar.
• The eighth day is the 1st of January which is New Year’s Day.
• The ninth day is the 2nd of January.
• The tenth day is the 3rd of January.
• The eleventh day is the 4th of January.
• The twelfth day is the 5th of January and is The Eve of The Epiphany.

  

Some who observe the Twelve Days give individual gifts with each day of the Twelve Days representing a wish for a corresponding month of the new year. The entire twelve days is in observance of the Christmas season, celebrating each day and evening the entire time through the morning of the Epiphany, lighting a candle for each day has become a modern tradition in the United States. Some, instead, light a Yule Log on the first night (Christmas) and let it burn some each of the twelve nights.

 

Many Americans have their own traditional foods to serve each of the twelve days.

 

In many parts of the world, especially in the United States this period of celebration has been over-shadowed by commercialism and has led to the misconception that the Twelve Days are a celebration that would take place in the days before Christmas Day. It conveniently has come to fit with promotional sales for retailers.

 

It would be great to restore the meaning of the Twelve Days – it would certainly extend the spirit of Christmas into the New Year!

John Ronald Reuel Tolkien

3rd January 1892 – 2nd September 1973

“All that is gold does not glitter, Not all those who wander are lost…”

~ J.R.R Tolkien

Here comes the New Year!  The name January is derived from the God Janus, a principal deity in Roman Mythology, originally the God of Light and Day he gradually became the God of Beginnings and Transitions including gateways, doors, and bridges.   He is often depicted as a two-faced God since he looks to both the past and to the future.

Party… party large or small!  Bring good luck to the New Year by with the tradition of kissing at midnight!  Kiss your loved ones, your pets, kiss yourself, if you choose… and get up, get up and dance… dancing on new years’ day will bring love and prosperity.

Try to make sure your cupboards are full and your wallets have some cash in them, (even if it’s just a dollar) on the New Year.

It is said in Scottish tradition that the first person to enter your home after midnight on New Year’s Eve will greatly influence your life for the next year.

Try to postpone housework until January 2^nd… throw nothing away on the first day of the New Year!  No emptied dust pans, no shaken rugs to free their dirt.

Don’t do laundry on New Year’s or you may ‘wash away’ good memories in the New Year.  Save this chore for January 2^nd!

Don’t clean your house on New Year’s Day… another chore to put off until January 2^nd.

Don’t wash your hair on New Year’s Day!

Do wear a new article of clothing on New Year ’s Day as in increases your chances of getting more clothing in the year to come. And speaking of clothing, wearing red is your best bet as it will bring happiness in the New Year.

Do create a ruckus!  At midnight open all the doors in the house to let in the New Year and make noise to scare away the evil spirits.

Make sure you drain the bottle of champagne – or any beverage – on New Year’s Day as it brings good fortune.

Grapes!  Eat twelve grapes at midnight… served perhaps on a skewer… swirled into a glass of champagne just before the countdown.  Each of the twelve grapes represents a month.  Fortune would be that each of the grapes are sweet… if you get a sour grape, it indicates a bit of a rough month.  For example, if your fifth grape is sour, the month of May could be a bit of a rough month for you!  Hope for sweet grapes!

Round or ring-shaped cakes… here is your excuse to have a donut – either ring-shaped or filled with something sweet.

In many Asian countries long soba (buckwheat) noodles are eaten on New Year’s Day, this is called “toshi-koshi” which translates to “from one year to another”.  There is a catch… you cannot break the noodle before it’s all in your mouth.  Eat the noodle quickly and try not to chew it too much… the longer the better!

In much of the southern parts of the United States black-eyed peas represent humility and are thought to bring good fortune to those who eat them at the New Year, pair these with collard greens which symbolize financial prosperity!

In much of Europe and the United States serving any types of cabbages is a new year’s custom since it is green and resembles money and fortune!

Throughout Italy lentils are thought to be good luck when eaten in the New Year… lentils resemble coins and good fortune!

Pomegranate represents abundance and fertility and in much of the Mediterranean is eaten at the New Year!

Cornbread is good luck because the glories of gold!  Have some cornbread… round if you can!

If you are a meat-eater… some meats are considered good luck, some are not.  Stay away from poultry, such as chicken and turkey or anything which scratches backwards in dirt (representing poverty) and eat nothing with wings.  Eating something with wings is said to make your good luck “fly out the window”!  For good luck, in many parts of the words fish is associated with moving forward into the New Year since fish swim forward! Pork is also considered a good luck food, pigs always root forward with feet firmly pushed into the ground – this symbolizes progress and their high fat content represents wealth and prosperity.

It’s fun to eat as much lucky foods as you can for the New Year!  Just don’t overindulge!

Work a little… it’s actually a good thing to do something work related on New Year’s Day, but just a token activity, nothing major. And no, you don’t have to actually be at your place of business to do it.

Whatever you choose to do to ring in the New Year always remember to do so safely… no drinking and driving, no texting and driving, no distractions.  Wear seat belts… watch your surroundings and be cautious of others who may be distracted on the road, crossing streets, and just generally celebrating without good common sense.  Being alert, and sober while driving or walking is going to always be your best chances of a great start to the New Year!

Most of all… celebrate, cherish life and love!  Happy New Year!