First footing has it died out?

We still use the coal and salt my late Dad brought to FF us on our first New Year married 47 new years ago.OH takes it along with whisky and food and FF us, then he'll FF neighbours and pass folk in the street on their way to us .We dont do the sit down meal at midnight that happened when I was wee ,we had my mums whole family with us and Steak pie and mash and hot peas served as the Bells rang and the foghorns sounded on the Clyde .The whole street in fact the whole city was alive after midnight back then,Now the generations below us head to bars and restaurants or Glasgow and Edinburgh outdoor events .We still have a few regulars who'll sit and blether or sing a song until the wee sma hours .I like to keep the tradition alive .

I grew up London in 1950's and on New Year's Eve at 12.00 my mum would open the back door to let the old year out and then the front door to let the new year in. I've taken on the tradition and so have my children, so in a small way it carries on.

We never did anything like that I thought it was a Scottish tradition
But living in a fishing town the boats all hooted the new year in

You've brought memories back to mePaddy Ann, we sat down for a meal at my grans at midnight after my grandad got in he was the dark stranger. My gran had a brother who liked his drink and always turned up sozzled before midnight he was not allowed in and made to sit on the step. We must have stopped for hours talking and laughing then the sozzled uncle used to start to sing mauling hymns like 'Abide with me", and gran turned everyone out.The last time I did it would be 40+ years ago and pregnant with DD I gave up after a few houses in DH village ,my gran had died by then and no-one seemed willing to take on the task of the large party. I wonder if it is more of a Northern thing?

When we were nippers I remember dad or an uncle doing the coal, salt and a bit of bread thing. Out the back door with it, up the side and in through the front.

Goodness knows how you’d do it if you lived in a terraced row!

It’s definitely dying out. These old traditions.

Bars and clubs now for midnight. Plus a lot live in apartments - can’t imagine going down and up in the lift ha!

We always had a sit down steak pie dinner in the evening of Hogmanay. Mum had cleaned the entire house. The window sills and doorsteps were scrubbed with Ajax. She washed the ornaments and even lightshades. No dirty washing was allowed to sully the washing basket. She had cocktail sobrani cigarettes out ready. There was cherry cake and fruit cake out too. At the bells the front door was opened to let the new year in. It had to be someone dark who was the first foot and they brought drink, usually whisky. When I was a teenager we congregated at the Steeple in Falkirk for the bells then walked the three miles home to first foot the neighbours. I haven't had anyone first foot for years and years so I think it's mainly disappeared as a tradition. I did first foot my daughter and son-in-law a couple of times. Now, I go to bed. Very boring!

Why was it someone dark haired where does that come from ?

Our Hogmany was very like yours Yammy. My Mum came from a large family and it was to ours they all came on Hogmanay although we had the smallest home (2 rooms, scullery and outside toilet). Mum had the place spotless as everything had to be cleaned for the new year coming and food laid out - the children's was laid out in a corner on a pooffe if I remember right. A couple of her brothers could play accordian and fiddle and another could do a tune or two on my piano. No fancy drinks around - whisky or sherry. One of our neighbours used to come in with a bottle of whisky and sat with it between his legs all night never unscrewing the top but never refused a glass or two when it came his way!! When I reached my teens it was where we all ended up too but no live music by then but we had a "radiogram" which was a great attraction. Great memories!! It has died out now really with most house lights going out before "the bells".

Tall Dark strangers brought their luck with them a throwback to the blond Vikings that brought fear

When we moved here our tall, dark neighbour used to first foot for all the houses in our little group. Now all the men here are bald or grey ?

when i was a teenager late 70s, the house was cleaned from top to bottom, steak pie meal was made, we all dressed up and at midnight the windows and door was opened, a neighbour would come calling with a piece of coal (we had coal fires) and would sit and have a drink, the only thing i still do is open the windows and the door to let the old year out, one i am happy to do this year, diagnosed with cancer and a week later my partner died, so it has been a difficult year, i live near the clyde and i can hear any ships blowing there horns, a sound i love.

So sorry to hear that nexus. I hope 2022 is a better year for you.

we had to go out the back door and bring a new piece of coal through the front door
presumably it is related in some way

BlueBelle

Why was it someone dark haired where does that come from ?

I don't know, but yes, it had to be someone with dark hair, out of one door to let the Old Year out, round the side and into another door carrying bread, salt and coal to let the New Year in. It made sure you wouldn't be without food, warmth and money in the next year, I think.

nexus hope 2022 is a better year for you

paddyann54

Tall Dark strangers brought their luck with them a throwback to the blond Vikings that brought fear

Oh, was that it?
My Mum used to do it because my Dad was blond!

I grew up in a street of terraced houses, just before midnight all the men would gather on the corner then when the bells rang for the new year would go and First Foot their own houses, my grandmother lived next door to us and the whole family would gather at her house, I was always allowed a small glass of sherry. We still keep the tradition, every New Year DH is pushed outside with a lump of coal ( kept especially for NY) loaf of bread and candle then rings the bell at midnight, we usually have friends round so a good time is had by all.

I still wave my DH (more silver these days but in our minds still dark) out of the back door just before midnight, and welcome him in at the front door once the countdown to the New Year has finished. He brings with him the first-footing bag containing salt, a piece of bread, a shiny £1 coin and a match to represent warmth (we ran out of coal years ago!). And a bottle of whiskey. Then we toast the New Year with an expensive drink (no beer allowed!), as this sets the tone for what we’ll enjoy in the next 12 months.

You could buy him some Grecian 2000 for Christmas, Maggiemaybe

I've just realised how silver DH is now!

Bohemian my upbringing was the same as yours 1950s East End I would like to carry that tradition on but my north London DH thinks it's mad. So it's the golf club for us pretending we are all on an ocean going liner. How mad is that?

Calistemon

You could buy him some Grecian 2000 for Christmas, Maggiemaybe

I've just realised how silver DH is now!

Well I quite like his silver fox look, Calistemon. But I might just give him a good squirt of my Batiste brunette dry shampoo as I push guide him out on NYE, just to make sure he meets the personnel spec.

I might borrow someone, eg Bertie Carvel.
Just in case DH has nodded off, you understand ?

Amberone

When we moved here our tall, dark neighbour used to first foot for all the houses in our little group. Now all the men here are bald or grey ?

??? Brilliant! Just brilliant.

I'm London born and bred, but my dad was always chucked outside a couple of minutes before midnight and only allowed back in when we heard Big Ben chime. The boats on the Thames would sound their horns and it has always made me weepy. Dad had black hair back then and brought a piece of coal, a loaf of bread, a silver coin, and a twist of salt. Now I live further out, still London, but at midnight my windows are thrown open, I listen for the boats on the Thames and toast my parents. I think that tradition will die with me, my children have their own traditions.

nexus63

when i was a teenager late 70s, the house was cleaned from top to bottom, steak pie meal was made, we all dressed up and at midnight the windows and door was opened, a neighbour would come calling with a piece of coal (we had coal fires) and would sit and have a drink, the only thing i still do is open the windows and the door to let the old year out, one i am happy to do this year, diagnosed with cancer and a week later my partner died, so it has been a difficult year, i live near the clyde and i can hear any ships blowing there horns, a sound i love.

Sorry to hear this and hope you have family around to help you. You will be glad to see 2021 away as many on this forum will be.
We too had this tradition and went round all the neighbours houses. We had kale soup before the bells to "line our stomach'! Don't know if it did. One year I never went to bed and walked to work on 1st January! Now we stay up, watch fireworks on TV, message DS (daughters both have young children so just go to bed) and also go to bed. Sometimes DH sister phones from Australia. DH had stroke in February so will probably just go to bed this year.