Getting Ready for 2009, British Style

We will be celebrating New Year's Eve in London.

Okay, not in London, but on London time.

Which is almost as cool.

At midnite in London, it will be 6pm here in KC.

Which is when the Hill family is in prime partying mode.

Brax will have just eaten and pooped,

and he will be ready to party like a freshman on spring break.

And Mike and I will still be awake.

After doing a little Google-search, I found the following on New Year's traditions among the English. We wanted to do our best to be authentic in our mock-celebration.

The New Year in England is celebrated with great enthusiasm. Check. The New Year is celebrated either by having a party at home with family and friends or gathering at a pub or club. Check. At the stroke of midnight the people in England spend their time cheering, hooting, whistling, kissing and drinking toasts. We can do that. According to the New Year custom in England, the first person over the threshold is considered to bring good luck to the household in the coming year. So we have to go outside first?? This custom is called "first footing." Of course it is. They believe that it would ensure good luck for the in habitants of the house. The people in England believe that the first footer should be a male, good looking, and young, healthy and dark haired. I knew there was a reason I married Mike. The English believed that if the first footer carried with him things like coal, money, bread and salt, he would be lucky. Crap, I have to go to the grocery store AGAIN? The people in England regard these as symbols of wealth. It is believed by the wide populaces in England that at the midnight of December 31st the first footers step over the threshold to bring the New Year's luck. On entering the threshold, the first footer is required to do a few things before wishing everyone a Happy New Year-like placing the fuel on the fire, putting the loaf on the table and pouring a glass for the head of the house. Ahh, that must be ME. The people in England believe that the first footer enters through the front door and leaves through the back door on New Year. And goes where? Can he not come back in? Sounds like the footer gets the raw end of the deal in England. In England the children rise early on New Year's Day so that they can make rounds to neighbors and sing songs. The children are given sweets, coins, apples and mince pies for singing. The people in England believe that if the singing is not done by noon then the singer will be called fool. Oh don't you worry, Brax will be up and screeching singing wayyyy before noon. Who you callin' fool?

I don't know if black eyed peas are a tradition in England,
but I learned when I met Mike that they are in Oklahoma!

Here are a couple of shots of Brax helping me get the peas ready to soak. I was planning on putting them in the crock pot tomorrow with some leftover Christmas ham, some carrots and celery and onion, and having them for dinner. But Mike quickly reminded me that black eyed peas are to be eaten on New Year's DAY, not New Year's Eve. So I guess they'll soak extra good for the next 36 hours...