LL-L "Traditions" 2008.12.31 (03) [E]

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L O W L A N D S - L - 31 December 2008 - Volume 03
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From: heatherrendall at tiscali.co.uk <heatherrendall at tiscali.co.uk>
Subject: LL-L "Traditions" 2008.12.30 (04) [E]

Ron/ Reinhard wrote

Traditionally, there are also games that deal with reading fortunes. One of
the favorites is *Bliegeten* (German *Bleigießen* "pouring of lead") in
which liquid lead is poured from a spoon into cold water. The pourer's
fortune is supposed to be symbolized by the solidified shape. Less dangerous
alternatives are tin pouring and wax pouring.

This is also a well known custom here - but if I'm not mistaken , at
hallowe'en rather than New Year. Walter Scott refers to this custom in his
story of Aunt Margaret's Mirror (is that the right name?) where another
tradition is mentioned, that of looking into a mirror at midnight to see
your true love's reflection behind you.

Easier by far is to peel an apple keeping the peel unbroken for as long as
possible, prefereably the whole apple! and then tossing it over your
shoulder. The  letter formed by the peel on the ground gives you the initial
of the name of your true love.

(Sounds to me like a clever wheeze to get apples peeled by your family !)

Happy New Year to All

from a freezing but dry Worcestershire

Heather

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From: Paul Finlow-Bates <wolf_thunder51 at yahoo.co.uk>
Subject: LL-L "Traditions" 2008.12.30 (03) [E]

In England, and I believe Scotland, New Year was traditionally the 25th of
March; we in fact still preserve this in our tax year, which starts on April
11.  That's because, when England switched to the Gregorian callendar, we
lost 17 callendar days.  People refused to cough up on New Year's Day, so
payment was deferred for the 17 days.



The 25th March date is incidentally the answer to a historical conundrum:
how, on 20th March 1485, could a man describe the outcome of the Battle of
Bosworth (22nd August 1485), without recourse to supernatural powers etc?



Scotland had already changed callendars before Union, as Scotland was
Catholic at the time; Protestant England refused as it was thought to be a
Papist AntiChrist plot to make people celebrate Easter on the wrong day,
thus damning their souls.

Much earlier, in late Anglo-Saxon times, New Year and Christmas were
officially the same day.  Tradition has it that William of Normandy moved it
so that when he had himself crowned as King of England on 25th December
1066, the celebrations wouldn't clash!



Paul
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