Celtic New Year

[Blacklord]

New Years Eve in the old days, some old customs, beliefs and traditions. Read on to find out why this is not a great time to be a red haired Irish woman.
Same as now, staying up until after 12 on New Years Eve and welcoming in the new year was a traditional custom.
In some places, candles were placed at the windows and put out after midnight, ritually extinguishing the past and welcoming in the new. Doors were thrown open to let the old year out and the new year in. After midnight young people would go out with horns, bugles and other noise making instruments, ringing out the past and ringing in the new.
Some accounts state a large candle is lit on New Years Eve and left in the window, the candle must be lit by the youngest member of the family. Others say a candle is put in each window of the house and left lighting all night.
It is customary too with some people to lay the table on New Years Eve and leave the door open all night, so that spirits of the dead may come back if they want food.
We also learn that if a girl looks in the mirror just after midnight, she will see the face of the man she is to marry.
Also, on New Years Day, it was considered unlucky to throw out the ashes from the previous fire, or the sweepings of the floor. In some accounts the ashes and sweepings were disposed of before midnight on the eve, as not doing so would result in a year of bad luck.
An interesting New Years Eve custom from bygone days was to bake a large cake of bread, and either throw it at, or hit the front and back doors of your house with it. The bread was then eaten by the family as part of the evening meal, and was believed to ward off hunger for the coming year.
Also, if a red haired woman was the first visitor to your home after midnight, bad luck would befall the household. However, if a dark haired woman was first through the door, good luck for the year ahead was ensured. Some say that even meeting a red haired woman on New Years Day would bring bad luck.
Some of the above information accessed from Duchas.ie, other from my own memories and current practices. Door will be thrown open at midnight here tonight, old year whooshed out and New Year welcomed in.
Happy New Year to one and all.