A Few of FR's Finest....Every Day....12-29-06 - 01-01-07 ~ A Finest New Year's Weekend

Dutchess and Aquamarine

[dutchess]

A Few of FR's Finest....Every Day

Free Republic made its debut in September, 1996, and the forum was added in early 1997.   Over 100,000 people have registered for posting privileges on Free Republic, and the forum is read daily by tens of thousands of concerned citizens and patriots from all around the country and the world.

A Few of FR's Finest....Every Day was introduced on June 24, 2002. It's only a small room in JimRob's house where we can get to know one another a little better; salute and support our military and our leaders; pray for those in need; and congratulate those deserving. We strive to keep our threads entertaining, fun, and pleasing to look at, and often have guest writers contribute an essay, or a profile of another FReeper.

On Mondays please visit us to see photos of A FEW OF FR'S VETERANS AND ACTIVE MILITARY

If you have a suggestion, or an idea, or if there's a FReeper you would like to see featured, please drop one of us a note in FR mail.

We're having fun and hope you are!
~ Billie, Dutchess, DollyCali, GodBlessUSA , Aquamarine ~

Auld Lang Syne - Traditional
Auld Lang Syne - Modern
Auld Lang Syne - For Cat People :)




A Finest Happy New Years Weekend…
History and Traditions

As we enter 2007, this weekend thread is dedicated to traditions past. Please feel free to share your traditions and memories!!!

ANCIENT NEW YEARS

The New Years celebration is the oldest of all holidays. First observed in ancient Babylon about 4000 years ago. Around 2000 BC, the Babylonian New Year began with the first New Moon (actually the first visible cresent) after the Vernal Equinox (first day of spring). The beginning of spring is a logical time to start a new year. After all, it is the season of rebirth, of planting new crops, and of blossoming. January 1, on the other hand, has no astronomical nor agricultural significance. It is purely arbitrary. The Babylonian new year celebration lasted for eleven days. Each day had its own particular mode of celebration, but it is safe to say that modern New Year's Eve festivities pale in comparison.

In order to set the calendar right, the Roman senate, in 153 BC, declared January 1 to be the beginning of the new year. But tampering continued until Julius Caesar, in 46 BC, established what has come to be known as the Julian Calendar. It again established January 1 as the new year. But in order to synchronize the calendar with the sun, Caesar had to let the previous year drag on for 445 days.

THE CHURCH'S VIEW OF NEW YEAR CELEBRATIONS

Although in the first centuries AD the Romans continued celebrating the new year, the early Catholic Church condemned the festivities as paganism. But as Christianity became more widespread, the early church began having its own religious observances concurrently with many of the pagan celebrations, and New Year's Day was no different. New Years is still observed as the Feast of Christ's Circumcision by some denominations. During the Middle Ages, the Church remained opposed to celebrating New Years. January 1 has been celebrated as a holiday by Western nations for only about the past 400 years.

NEW YEAR TRADITIONS

Other traditions of the season include the making of New Year's resolutions. That tradition also dates back to the early Babylonians. Popular modern resolutions might include the promise to lose weight or quit smoking. The early Babylonian's most popular resolution was to return borrowed farm equipment.

The Tournament of Roses Parade dates back to 1886. In that year, members of the Valley Hunt Club decorated their carriages with flowers. It celebrated the ripening of the orange crop in California. Although the Rose Bowl football game was first played as a part of the Tournament of Roses in 1902, it was replaced by Roman chariot races the following year. In 1916, the football game returned as the sports centerpiece of the festival.

NEW YEARS BABY

The tradition of using a baby to signify the new year was begun in Greece around 600 BC. It was their tradition at that time to celebrate their god of wine, Dionysus, by parading a baby in a basket, representing the annual rebirth of that god as the spirit of fertility. Early Egyptians also used a baby as a symbol of rebirth. Although the early Christians denounced the practice as pagan, the popularity of the baby as a symbol of rebirth forced the Church to reevaluate its position. The Church finally allowed its members to celebrate the new year with a baby, which was to symbolize the birth of the baby Jesus. The use of an image of a baby with a New Years banner as a symbolic representation of the new year was brought to early America by the Germans. They had used the effigy since the fourteenth century.

FOR LUCK IN THE NEW YEAR

Traditionally, it was thought that one could affect the luck they would have throughout the coming year by what they did or ate on the first day of the year. For that reason, it has become common for folks to celebrate the first few minutes of a brand new year in the company of family and friends. Parties often last into the middle of the night after the ringing in of a new year. It was once believed that the first visitor on New Year's Day would bring either good luck or bad luck the rest of the year. It was particularly lucky if that visitor happened to be a tall dark-haired man.

AULD LANG SYNE

The song, "Auld Lang Syne," playing in the background, is sung at the stroke of midnight in almost every English-speaking country in the world to bring in the new year. At least partially written by Robert Burns in the 1700's, it was first published in 1796 after Burns' death. Early variations of the song were sung prior to 1700 and inspired Burns to produce the modern rendition. An old Scotch tune, "Auld Lang Syne" literally means "old long ago," or simply, "the good old days.".

NEW YEAR'S FOOD TRADITIONS

~ Eating noodles at midnight is customary at Buddhist temples in Japan.

~ A German/Pennsylvania Dutch tradition is to eat pork and sauerkraut on New Year's day for good luck.

~ It is a Cuban tradition to eat 12 grapes at the stroke of midnight. The 12 grapes signify the last twelve months of the year.

~ German folklore says that eating herring at the stroke of midnight will bring luck for the next year.

~ Eating pickled herring as the first bite of the New Year brings good luck to those of Polish descent.

~ In the southern United States, it is believed eating black eyed peas on New Year's eve will bring luck for the coming year.

~ Also from the south comes the custom of eating greens such as cabbage, collard greens, mustard greens, kale or spinach to bring money.

~ One more from the Southerners: eating cornbread will bring wealth.

~The Southern custom of eating greens can be found in other cultures as well, although the cabbage can take many forms, such as sauerkraut or even kimchee.

~ In the Philippines, it is important to have food on the table at midnight in order to insure an abundance of food in the upcoming year.

~ Boiled Cod is a New Year's Eve must in Denmark.

~ Olie Bollen a donut-like fritter is popular in Holland for New Year.

~ Black-eyed peas, fish, apples, and beets are eaten for luck at the Jewish New Year's celebration (not celebrated on Jan 1).

AN INVITATION

To all our friends at FreeRepublic. We hope you have a blessed 2007 and invite you to share a special family tradition or recollections of 2006.

As always, thank you Jim Robinson and all our FreeRepublic family for helping us keep our country moving in the RIGHT direction AND… AS ALWAYS… Our love, prayers and gratitude to our military men and women and their families.

WISHING YOU ALL THE BEST IN 2007!!!!

Happy New Year 2007!

10-01-06 ~ Hall of Fame #17

THIS WEEK'S THREADS 12/22 thru 12/25/06 Polar Express ~ Christmas Thread 12-26-06 Military Monday on Tuesday 12/27/06 Warm Fuzzy Wednesday 12/28/06 Pet Day at the Finest

Opinions by our own 'King of Ping' Every Thursday at the Finest The guy's good, folks!

[dutchess]

Beautiful rose Beth. Thanks for posting it!

[ST.LOUIE1]

LOL!

Stay tuned. : )

[dutchess]

Now that's one big snowball. I fear for our wolfie :o) !!!

[dutchess]

Ah purple. Forgot to wear red today! Plus love the graphics you're posting. Thanks!

[ST.LOUIE1]

Not to worry about wolfie, he ain't done yet. : )

[dutchess]

Great thread, and Pledge, dutchess!

Thanks but Aqua gets the credit for the background border AND the pledge!

[La Enchiladita]

I WUV IT!!! HEHE.


(How MANY days...? Hm?! Hm?!:))

[MEG33]

I would say you are both worthy opponents!

[dutchess]

Hi meg. Beautiful pictures. Especially like the cats waiting for the snowball fight!!!! (so am I LOL!)

[dutchess]

Oops, I thought you knew this was the whole weekend thread. I used the font you changed in the opening and bottom. Thought it was much prettier (although returned it back to blue). Didn't see your email until this morning when I was getting ready to post and was a little afraid to make the changes as billie tested my version last night but made the changes and IT WORKED. With all the problems both in my computer and formatting changes have been a little "intimidated"!!!! Anyway..it's fun working with you again sistah!!!!!

[MEG33]

;)I'm grabbing a front row seat..

No action in this house today but the sounds of the back wall going down and new windowa and wall going up..Sassy and Silky are locked up with me..the other 6 in my daughter's room..My Silky is a great escape artist and we really have to watch her.
I have a computer in my room now because of the move out of the family room so I am having a fine time on the computer.

[dutchess]

Great thread, dutchess!!! I am going to eat some greens on New Year's Day... you bet!!!

I've never made greens. How do you make them???? (I need all the luck I can get) It's pork and sauerkraut in Ohio! (with the obligatory mashed potatoes and homemade applesauce!)

[dutchess]

Yes!!!! Maxine! A party wouldn't be a party without her!!!!!

[dutchess]

Oh...love that Happy Feet gif!!!! Borrowed and won't use for atleast 2 days!!!! :o)

[La Enchiladita]

Neat, dutchess. Now I am getting a clue about your name? I saw that pork and sauerkraut are the Pennsylvania Dutch tradition.

My mother's people were the Pennsylvania Dutch, first arrived in PA from the old country in 1732, then migrated to the Midwest.

Anyway, I get a bunch of collards and wash them well. Then, I take a sharp knife and cut off the stem as well as the middle ridge of the collard leaf... I chop them coarsely.

They go in a big pot, covered with water. Bring to boil, then lower heat. They need to cook at least 30-45 minutes to be tender. Sometimes, I cook chopped onion with them or add sauteed onion. As for seasoning, some people use salt pork or bacon. I use salt, pepper, paprika, olive oil and a dash of vinegar. A pinch of sugar doesn't hurt either. They must be tender to be eaten and the "pot liquor" is good too.

A lot of folks like these with black-eyed peas and cornbread.

[dutchess]

Now I am getting a clue about your name? I saw that pork and sauerkraut are the Pennsylvania Dutch tradition.

Nope my screen name was actually the name of the first dog I had after getting married. After lurking for months on FR during Whitewater years...I finally got the nerve to sign on and went into panic when you had to give a screen name. Dutchess had long been gone but possessed all the qualities I want to have...kind, considerate, loyal so I just typed it in not thinking that it would stick with me for over 8 years LOL!.

Way back when we did a thread on how we came up with our screen names...maybe time again??? So...what's your story????? And thanks for the recipe. I might try to make greens sometime! (I've never made black-eyed peas either...yikes)

P.S. We took on the pork and sauerkraut when we moved to Ohio from Michigan 31 years ago....BUT it became a natural for me as I'm 100% polish (all 4 grandparents immigrated here separately in their teens/20's) Thus, in addition to pork I always have to add a link or two of polish kalbasa with good homemade horseradish!

[Majie Purple]

((((Nothing personal. it was a collective request to wait to repost 1 or 2 days is all....& not asking anyone to remember who gave it or posted it 1st. Just a slight grace period before reposting on FR. No apologies needed.))))

[Majie Purple]

((((LOL Dutchie!))))

[Majie Purple]

There is still time to wear read today Dutchie!
;oD
Thanks for Your compliment!

[Majie Purple]

You so get my humor!
;oD
Cool! LOL