Starting the Year Right

I put the parsley on the bottom shelf of the fridge, haven't done any laundry today and am fixing all the recommended foods: ham, cabbage, blackeye peas, kale, as I wrote about in yesterday's post. I swept the floors to sweep out all the old bad luck, and I accidentally fulfilled a Cuban tradition by eating 12 grapes last night. I even remembered to say "Rabbit, rabbit, rabbit" this morning. I think I'm all set to have luck, health, and wealth in the coming year if I don't do anything to cancel out all those superstitions.

It's all just in fun, of course. Do I really believe these things will bring luck? Not really, but I like keeping old traditions alive, and apparently many of my friends do the same. Doing these things brings a smile, laughter, and yes, even hopefulness.  All of these are good and good for us, so the tradition-bearers can definitely say there is a positive aspect to following the old rituals.

Tersi, my storytelling friend born in Cuba, said that she threw a bucket of water out the door last night at midnight to throw out the old year and bring in the new, and it is her tradition to eat twelve grapes. That was new to me, but last night I was snacking on grapes and I'm pretty sure I ate at least twelve. My youngest son, whose girlfriend is from the Dominican Republic, said that he ate 15 grapes with her family last night--one at a time, making a silent wish for the coming year with each grape. All of the grapes had to be eaten by midnight. This tradition apparently originated in Spain in 1909, where a grape was eaten with each toll of the bell at midnight "Spanish tradition says that wearing new, red underwear on New Year's Eve brings good luck," according to Wikipedia.

Last night many people shot off guns or firecrackers, rattle noisemakers or banged on pots and pans at midnight. All of these are probably done for the same reason: to chase away the ghosts of the past year. Apparently the fireworks are a tradition that might have started in Germany, but then the Chinese have long welcomed in their new year with similar tactics. According to the website Chinese New Years, "Fireworks are used to drive away the evil in China. Right after the 12:00PM of the New Year's Eve, fireworks will be launched to celebrate the coming of the New Year as well as driven away the evil. It is believed that the person who launched the first Fireworks in the New Year will get good luck."

Barbara Woodall, author of the book It's Not My Mountain Anymore says we should not do any laundry today. Why? Because if we do, we'll be washing for the sick all year long. No one wants to do that! Barbara also notes in her Facebook post that we should eat lots of turnip greens for lots of green dollars, and "If the first visitor at the door is a male, all your diddlers will be roosters. If a female comes first, all the chickens will be pullets." That last one was new to me, so I will have to watch today to see who comes to my door first, and hope it's a female.

The moon was new for New Year's Day, and my blog friend Granny Kate of the blog Woodsmoke advises putting a silver coin on the windowsill and leaving it there until the light of the new moon shines on it. We'll have two full moons in January, so I guess we need to do it twice? 

Other traditions say not to carry out the trash on New Year's or you might throw out your new good fortune. It occurs to me that many of these superstitions are a way to keep people from working on this holiday! That's a good thing; we all need to stop and rest sometime, and why not start into the new year rested and relaxed? Life will get hectic soon enough.

However you celebrate this day, I hope the coming year treats you with kindness, grace and dignity. And may every happiness come to you and yours as well!

I'll end this post with the song we traditionally at this time of year, attributed to Robert Burns. The title of the song, loosely translated, means old long ago. But did Burns write it? 

The answer is not easy to find. Burns himself, in a letter to his friend Mrs. Frances Dunlop in 1888 sang the praises of an old song he had found called Auld Lang Syne. And in 1793, Burns wrote to another friend that he had collected the song from an old man who sang it for him, and that he noted down the words.

There were actually several old songs floating about in those days that used the words “Auld Lang Syne” within their verses. Like this one written by James Ayton in the 1600’s:

"Should auld acquaintance be forgot,
And never thought upon,
The flames of love extinguished,
And freely past and gone?”

Or this one, a street song from the late 1600’s:

"On old long syne.
On old long syne, my jo,
On old long syne:
That thou canst never once reflect 
On old long syne."

Whatever its origins, it's certain that Burns created the version we know and love so well today:

Should old acquaintance be forgot,
and never brought to mind ?
Should old acquaintance be forgot,
and old lang syne ?

CHORUS:

For auld lang syne, my dear,
for auld lang syne,
we'll take a cup of kindness yet,
for auld lang syne.

And surely you’ll buy your pint cup !
and surely I’ll buy mine !
And we'll take a cup o’ kindness yet,
for auld lang syne.

CHORUS

We two have run about the slopes,
and picked the daisies fine ;
But we’ve wandered many a weary foot,
since auld lang syne.

CHORUS

We two have paddled in the stream,
from morning sun till dine^† ;
But seas between us broad have roared
since auld lang syne.

CHORUS

And there’s a hand my trusty friend !
And give me a hand o’ thine !
And we’ll take a right good-will draught,
for auld lang syne.

CHORUS

(source for these lyrics is Wikipedia, which has a good history of the poem and song)

Copyright Susanna Holstein. All rights reserved. No Republication or Redistribution Allowed without attribution to Susanna Holstein.

New Year's Bonfire Time!

It's time for our annual New Year's bonfire! We invite you to send your troubles to be burned in our fire. Cleansing by fire is an ancient ritual, and while we don't burn all our belongings like some used to do, we do write down our troubles and burn them in the fire.

So if you have something you need burned, just send me a message and I'll be sure it gets in the fire.No need to tell me what the troubles are, just write BURN THIS and it shall be done. Send emails to susannaholstein@yahoo.com, or find me on Facebook and drop me a message there. Or you can simply add your BURN THIS message as a comment to this message.

and...gone!

Wishing you the very best to all of you in the coming year. May your troubles be light, your hopes and dreams bright, and every day filled with love, laughter and joy.



Copyright Susanna Holstein. All rights reserved. No Republication or Redistribution Allowed without attribution to Susanna Holstein.

Memories of New Year's Day

 

A few photos to remember the day: Cassidy and Mike played for us while Heather washed dishes and Ethan made a goofy face in the front right foreground:

 

Grandson Jared and his girlfriend Pilar

 

 

Sisters Allison and Jordan clowning around while we all wait to start the fire:

 

 

Here we go!

 

It soon became so hot that we had to turn around to cool off.

Getting ready to throw the troubles in the flames:



 

Soon after midnight, the burned to white-hot heat, and continued to burn all night and all of the following day (and still burning this evening, 48 hours later.)



Another year's fire is done, the company has gone home and it is time to start on the goals for the coming year.

I hope your New Year is bright, filled with blessings, good people, good health, and good times.

Copyright 2012 Susanna Holstein. All rights reserved. No Republication or Redistribution Allowed without attribution to Susanna Holstein.

Endings, and Beginnings

I am reminded, as this year closes, of the words of the poet Susan Coolidge:

Every day is a fresh beginning,

Listen, my soul, to the glad refrain,

And spite of old sorrow, and older sinning,

And troubles forecasted, and possible pain,

Take heart with the day, and begin again.

It is a time of endings and beginnings, as we look back at what has passed in the last year and consider what faces us in the new. It is a time when we can say, "Enough of that," and set our sights on a new path. It is also a time when we store away in memory the best the year brought to us, to be brought out and savored when we need a boost.

It is also a time to look at what we resolved to accomplish in the past year--what actually happened and what still waits. Or perhaps the priorites changed and what once seemed important has fallen from the list.

In Germany, I have read, there is a custom of visiting those with whom one has quarreled and all of the past disagreements are mutally forgiven and forgotten. In this country, we need such a healing ceremony after the rifts of the political wars. I could use some of that custom in my own life too, to melt away some hard feelings. Couldn't we all, for that matter?

These thoughts float in my mind as we prepare for the annual bonfire. I cook food; the men gather wood and heap it up. The weather will be cold, the ground snowy when we gather at the fire to see the year out and welcome the new. Just before midnight, we will follow our custom of tossing bits of paper into the fire. On the paper are the problems and troubles of many people, sent to us by email and messages. Each paper lightens someone's burden, or such is my hope. As the smoke drift skyward, I will see the ashes of sorrows, pain and worry disappear into the clean fresh air of a new day, a new year.

So it is each New Year's Day; we begin with high heads and confidence. Life may beat us down as we trudge through the days, until finally we drop our cares again at the holidays and look with renewed hope. Somehow the thought of that cycle is comforting--no matter how bad things may be, there is yet one more year to look forward to, one more chance to get it right, and one more opportunity to celebrate this strange journey we call life.

Take heart, and begin again.

 

 

Copyright 2012 Susanna Holstein. All rights reserved. No Republication or Redistribution Allowed without attribution to Susanna Holstein.

The New Year's Bonfire

Greetings, friends!

Once again we are having our New Year's bonfire, and inviting any and all to send their troubles to be burned in our fire on New Year's Eve so that the new year cvan be started with a lighter load and happier heart. I believe this makes the 12th year for our fire, although I really can't remember exactly when we started the tradition. My grandchildren look forward tossing in the troubles every year, sending each to the flames with a thought and a prayer for the sender.

So please send your troubles along; if you prefer, you can simply send a message saying "burn this" and it will be done. Messages can be sent as a comment on this post or as email to me at susannaholstein@yahoo.com

 

Please feel free to share this invitation to your friends and family.

 

If you are looking for ideas to celebrate the New Year, check out my past posts on the topic by clicking here.

 

Blessings to you all and my wishes that yours will be a peace-filled and trouble-free holiday season.

 

Copyright 2012 Susanna Holstein. All rights reserved. No Republication or Redistribution Allowed without attribution to Susanna Holstein.

New Year's Bonfire: Time to Burn Your Troubles

I can hardly believe it is already time for our annual bonfire! Each year we build a bonfire to light in the New Year, and in that fire we toss our troubles. You are invited to burn your troubles too--just send me an email to grannysueholstein@yahoo.com with the word BONFIRE in the subject and I will print it and make sure your worries get burned in our fire. This has been a tradition for us for over ten years, and we've burned countless worries. You do not need to tell me what your worry is--a simple "burn this" message will do.

This year we are having the fire at our son's house once again. There are several reasons, the main one being he has a great location for the fire--level, with easy access to the house. At my house, everything is on a slant and it can get tricky to get back and forth to the fire. Access can be tricky too, if it snows or rains heavily.

I'm cooking a big pot of chili to bring to the fire, along with some cornbread and some cookies. My son has taken care of all the other food, so we're set for a good time.

Last year's fire was a big one--this year, we won't have all that scrap from the old cabin like we did last year, but I know that whatever we have will be enough, and the fire will be memorable.

Seeing in the New Year

We started our New Year's celebration with Jaime and Aaron coming to visit. We stayed up late visiting Thursday evening, then next morning, off to the Downtowner for breakfast with Derek and Amy, a browse around Reta's antique shop, and a trip to the grocery store. I ran from bank to library to post office, getting the final report for my grant mailed in--I wanted that off my plate before the new year arrived.

Friday was such a pretty day that we sat out on the deck when we got home, and I watched Jaime's needles fly as she knitted and we visited.The phone rang, and it was Susan--she was free for the weekend and could she come down? Of course she could, and did.

We went to Derek and Amy's for the bonfire and New Year's Eve party. the night was perfect: not too cold, not too muddy, plenty of food and happy people.

Cassie and Jordan sang and we watched the flames burn all the troubles that had been mailed in as we waited for midnight.

The kids were getting tired (and so was I!) so we headed home about 1:30, but sat up until well after 3:00 am, just talking. We haven't seen Susan and her children since August so we had plenty to catch up on. 

We started earlier than I expected the next morning, because someone called at 9:00am on New Year's morning to wish us happy new year. It felt like the middle of the night, but of course the phone woke everyone so we made coffee and started on breakfast: pancakes with pear or raspberry syrup, scrambled eggs, bacon, sausage and cider, along with lots of coffee. Over breakfast Susan mentioned that she had not yet seen Mothman or Point Pleasant, and neither had Aaron or Jaime. Since we had no real plans other than to eat cabbage, and it was a gray and misty day anyway, we took off on a road trip. (My camera had to stay home because I couldn't find it--it was still buried in the stuff we'd brought home from the bonfire.)

We had a great time, looking at the statue, walking along the mural painted floodwall, poking around in Tu-Endi-Wei Park, and then eating at a Mexican restaurant (the only place open, apparently, except McDonald's). The rain hit in earnest as we arrived at the restaurant, so the warm food was welcome.

After dinner we headed home to cook ham and cabbage and eat dinner with the golfers (Derek, Amy and Jared) and Haley. Dinner wasn't quite as elaborate as I'd planned, but it was mighty good. I scored 65 cents out of my serving of cabbage, so I am expecting big money this year! Bedtime came a little earlier on this night, and everyone was soundly sleeping by midnight--except Larry, who started a part-time job last week, working from 10pm-4am. I know, what hours! But he likes it and he's the one that matters.

By early afternoon on Sunday all our company was gone and the house was still and orderly once again--well, sort of.

Since the boys grew up Larry and I have been home alone on New Year's Day, seeing the year in quietly after the evening bonfire. This year we started off on a different foot--road trip, the house full, lots of activity and children around--and it was a blast. Who knows what this year will bring? With my coming retirement, we may indeed be traveling a lot more, seeing our grandchildren, having more company and seeing more places. If New Year's Day is any indication, it should be a year to remember.

Happy New Year!

I did not want this day to end without wishing all of you a very happy year to come--and health, prosperity and peace of spirit each and every day.

For many of us the past year brought sadness, misfortune, sickness and worry. Last night we burned many, many such troubles in our bonfire and I cannot describe to you the peace that came with watching those papers burn, burn, burn. They went up in smoke in the presence of many family and friends, high on a hill with the stars bright overhead, music from our granddaughters and the feeling of being surrounded by strength and love. It was a beautiful night.

We continued the pleasure today as our friend Susan and her children stayed to share a big country breakfast, a trip to Point Pleasant to see the Mothman statue and other sights, and a dinner that included cabbage with foil-wrapped money in it to assure wealth in the coming year. Everyone is settling down to bed now as this first day of 2011 draws to a close. I will post pictures and tell you more about our weekend tomorrow.

Time for the New Year's Bonfire!

Once again we'll be burning our New Year's bonfire, and we'd like to invite you to share it with us.

Each year, we write our troubles on pieces of paper and toss them in the fire on New Year's Eve, allowing us to start the year with  lighter load. If you would like us to burn your troubles in our fire, send me an email at susannaholstein@yahoo.com, or leave a comment below and I will be sure they go into the flames.

If you prefer not to say what the troubles are, just say "Burn This" in your message and that is just what we will do.

The tradition of fire as a purifying ritual goes far back in man's history, and in Scotland fire festivals are still held on Hogmanay (New Year's Eve). I didn't know the history of fire-purifying rituals when we started doing this in 2000 but it seemed like a good way to start the new year. We've burned hundreds of troubles over the years and it feels good to know that for one moment, we are connecting with someone we might not know, and offering a small service to them as we toss their notes on the fire.

I am looking ahead and hoping for a better year, one that has more peace and less sadness, more joy and less stress, and health and plenty for all.

New Year's Eve

Rain, rain and more rain today are making for a soggy bonfire area. We may need to punt and have the fire in the firepit on the patio instead--who wants to wade mud and sit in the rain and cold? Not me. At least on the patio we'll be out of the mud!

Still, a fire we must have to burn all the troubles sent to us in the past few days. A good hot fire, to make sure all are burned to ash and blown away.

If you have not yet sent in your troubles to be burned in our fire (with a prayer sent up with the smoke), then email me at susannaholstein@yahoo.com and I'll be sure to add yours to the pile.

To all my readers, a safe, peaceful and happy New Year.

The New Year's Bonfire

As we do every year, we will be burning a bonfire to light in the New Year.

We will write our troubles onto bits of paper and toss them into the flames so that we can start the new year free of old burdens.

And as we do every year, we invite all our friends and acquaintances to send us their troubles to add to the flames. If you'd like to participate, send an email to susannaholstein@yahoo.com and I will print it out and toss it into the fire for you. You do not need to tell me your problems if you prefer not to--simply send a message saying "burn this" and that will be just fine. No one but me will see your note in any case.

In past years we've had messages from as far away as Australia and New Zealand. Please feel free to share this invitation with your friends and family.

The New Year's Bonfire Complete

I cooked. Almost all day I cooked, thinking I didn't have enough food prepared. What was I thinking? There was so much that we added a leaf to the table and even then it was full of all good things--turkey, ham, baked beans, potato salad, pasta salad, rolls, cheese balls of several varieties, crackers, pickles, desserts, and more.

I cleaned. The house looked beautiful and I forgot to take photos! The table was beautiful and did I take a picture? Of course not.

I napped. Or tried to, knowing it would be early morning hours before we slept again.

And then our guests began arriving. We talked, sipped wine and beer and ate and at 8pm Larry lit the fire.

It was glorious, a fully-loaded pyre that sent flames 20 feet or more into the crystal cold night air. There was no wind, and a high pressure system sent the smoke and ash straight up so for the first time in my memory we were not dodging the shifting smoke.

Our gathering was not so large this year, but the spirits of the group more than made up for it. I think we had about 20 people all together, and I had food enough for three times that amount--not that I overdid it or anything, but I won't be cooking much in the coming week...or maybe month.

Close to midnight Hannah brought out the basket of troubles and I checked my emails one last time to be sure we'd gotten all the messages. One by one the messages were hurled to the flames.

James had quite a few he wanted to burn, and he was happy to toss the emailed ones too.

Bits of paper smoldered and then ignited, almost instantly turning to ash. It's hard to describe the feeling that comes with seeing the challenges of so many people turning flare and disappear into the flames.

Does it really work? James wanted to know. He was very serious; even at 7 years old he had several things he wanted to burn. His question is not easy to answer, especially to a child who is still in the concrete phase of mental development.

"You wrote it down, and you burned it," I told him, "so for now your problem is gone. It may come back, but you may be able to stop that from happening by what you do." He thought about that for a while. I'm not sure he understood completely, but the explanation also helped me understand why we perform this annual ritual. Burning the problems erases them for the time being. For a little while, I have control over the forces in my life. There is power in that thought.

To all of you who sent messages, please know that your emails have been well and truly burned, each with a thought and a prayer behind it that your year will be restful, peaceful, joyful and love-filled.

Waiting

This morning we woke up to a light skiff of snow on the ground. Larry made last-minute preparations to his bonfire preparations. It's a BIG pile, and should burn for many hours.

All of us are waiting for dark, for our visitors, and for the lighting of the bonfire. Right now I'm supposed to be napping, but instead I'm wondering if I've fixed enough food, if we have enough desserts, if it's going to be too cold to stay outside for very long.

Although by the look of that pile, I think we'll warm all of Joe's Run and a few other holler besides.

If you are reading this and still haven't sent your troubles to burn, email me at susannaholstein@yahoo.com , or leave a comment here. I'll be checking off and on all night and printing what comes in to add to the basket.

Back to watching this last day of 2008 fade slowly to dusk.

Time for the New Year's Bonfire and Burning Our Troubles

Every year my family lights a bonfire on New Year's Eve to light in the new year. As part of our tradition, we write down the things we're worried about--health, money, family, work problems, etc--and we toss those troubles into the fire.


The first year we did this, we invited family and storyteller friends to email their troubles to us to burn, and many did just that. This is the 9th annual bonfire I believe, and once again I invite my friends and family to send troubles for the fire. If you prefer to keep your troubles private, send a simple "Burn This" message and it will go into the flames along with our best thoughts and prayers for you.

Last year we burned nearly 200 troubles; this year it looks like we've all got a lot more to burn! So please send them to me at susannaholstein@yahoo.com and we'll be sure yours get into the hottest part of the fire.

Please feel free to forward this message to your friends and family--we'd be happy to burn their troubles too!

Let's make merry, one and all, and look forward to a new year of hope and happiness!

Burning Troubles and Welcome 2008

It was a perfect night for a bonfire. Not too cold, the sky clear, Orion’s Belt and Cassiopeia bright. A light breeze was a harbinger of things to come.

Beautiful flames light the night

As the easy stuff burned, the fire had to be rearranged. Someone said, “Get the tractor!” I thought, oh boy, this is one of those “hey-yall- watch-this” moments of infamy, but (oh ye of little faith) the tractor did the the job beautifully!

Never fear, Larry's here!

The flames leaped quickly into the night as we gathered around with chairs and wine and the basket of troubles—printed messages from many people who took me up on my offer to burn their problems in our New Year’s fire. Our guests had their own troubles to burn and one by one the papers were thrown into the flames. It seems the camera saw some things I did not.

A red swirl of light follows Allison's hand

As Haley stands still, a folded piece of paper flies to the fire

Flames seem to engulf Odie, and yet there were no flames around him at all--a trick of the camera?

As midnight approached, Odie took out his fiddle and began to play. The juxtaposition of old and new technologies in this photo intrigued me (but later in the evening, as you will see, the old technology won).

Katie ran to the house and gathered noisemakers—pots and wooden spoons—and the kids were ready. At midnight, the wild ruckus began. Much noise, much laughter, a few kisses, and music and song. The wind picked up and we moved inside to the log room and another fire to continue the singing, music and conversation. I told a couple stories at Allison’s insistence (The Odin Stone and Rindercella—two stories that could not be more unalike) and sang a few ballads. Andrea sang some beautiful Irish ballads for us, and Odie and Jon supplied the music.

A surprise visit from a neighbor and two German foreign exchange students late in the evening added a twist, and one of the girls showed us a game with forks—how to make any number between one and ten using six forks. Think it’s impossible? It had me completely puzzled until my neighbor took pity on me and whispered the solution. Aha!

By three AM we were winding down. Most visitors left and we began finding beds for those remaining, pumping up air mattresses, digging out quilts and pillows and finding floor space.

At four o’clock the house was quiet, and everyone except me was asleep. I sat up in bed, watching the remains of the fire smolder red in the darkness as the first snow flurries began to fall. Another year had begun--with friends, family, music and laughter.

Happy New Year! Planning Ahead

Happy New Year! January came in with wind and snow that started soon after midnight. Our bonfire crowd drew indoors soon after midnight and continued the stories and songs around the fireplace. I will post photos and more tomorrow after my computer recovers from too many downloads by grandchildren (who are accustomed to DSL and overwhelmed my satellite storage allowance—who knew there was such a thing?).

After the last of our visitors left today, we tidied up and enjoyed the snow falling so gently all afternoon. Not enough to amount to anything yet, but perhaps by morning it will make getting to work a challenge.

I used this quiet time to begin making lists of seeds to plant in the Spring. I’ve decided to have a little greenhouse once again after a five-year break, and it’s interesting to see what new varieties are being offered. I’ll share my lists when I’ve weeded them down—right now they’re wish lists that cover several pages of my notebook.

But the quiet and the catalogs inspired this poem:

Seed Catalogs

The first day of a new year.

In the vacuum left by departing visitors,
I huddle with quilts
in the warmth of a golden fire,
colorful catalogs on my lap.

Cocooned by snowfall
from the chatter
of everyday,
I plan

a summer of bounty and color.
A garden rich with green grows
amidst the swirling cold and white
of January.

Five Ways to Celebrate New Year's Eve

Beyond making resolutions and staying up too late, how do other people celebrate the coming of the new year? Here are five ways you might consider:


1. Did you know that in Brasstown, NC, they celebrate New Year's Eve with a Possum Drop? Read all about it at Clay's Corner. And while you're there catch up on your "possumology" as storyteller Doug Elliott calls the science of possum study.

2. You have to do things right on the first day of the year, of course. Sherrie Norris tells you eactly what to do and what to avoid. For heaven's sake, don't take out the trash on New Year's Day, and don't do the laundry either!
Sherrie includes recipes for some traditional New Year's fare so you can be sure to eat the foods that bring health and luck.

3. My mother often talked about "first-footers." It was good luck for a fairhaired man to cross the threshold first on New Years Day. Since I married a blonde man, I guess I assured my luck. You don't want a dark-haired lady to be the first to enter, certainly. And that fair-haired man better come in the front door and leave through the back! I've heard people mention this tradition here in the mountains, although like so many of the old ways, it is probably becoming obsolete. Others apparently think the first footer should be dark-haired, so take your choice!)

4. The New Year's Baby is the first baby born in our county each year. Sometimes we have to wait almost a week for a baby to be born, but the baby and parents are always featured in the next newspaper. (I'm not sure this is a race I want to enter any more...a little long in the tooth for it, I think.)

5. At my house we burn a New Year's bonfire, throwing in bits of paper with people's troubles written on them. It's been our tradition since the year 2000, or perhaps before that. We look forward to it every year.

Of course, you should never start the new year with a dirty house! So get it cleaned up, get the dishes done and laundry caught up so you can really enjoy the festivities. Who wants to bring old dirt into a new year?

For lots more New Year's Day lore, visit the Wilson Almanac and check out his Book of Days and all the other amazing information collected by Australian Pip Wilson. I just visited his site today, and already I know I'll be a regular visitor. It's a storyteller's paradise.

And for a list of New Year's superstitions, visit Old Superstitions. You'll find plenty of ways to assure your year starts out with a guarantee of prosperity and health. And here's hoping that all my readers enjoy the same!

Time to Send Your Troubles for the New Year's Fire

It's time again to send your troubles to be burned in our New Year's Fire.

This is, I think, the 7th year we have done this and each year many people send things to be burned. Most just tell us "BURN THIS" and we do, sending a little prayer along with the paper to fly heavenward with the flames.

You can burn your troubles--a job you hate, a job you lost, a relationship gone sour, bad health, whatever you want to get rid of in your life--by sending me an email at grannysueholstein@yahoo.com , or add a comment to this post and I'll see that it gets to the fire. Please feel free to forward this message on to friends and family who might have something to send.

If you'd like to read more about the tradition and see a photo or two, check out my blog post from a few weeks ago.

New Year’s Bonfire

The wood is piled
In pyramid form
Black against black night
A match is struck
Light flares out
And circling faces shine

Slowly, slowly
Fire takes hold
The pile begins to blaze
Dark orange, red and gold
Tongues lick the velvet night
And consume the long-dry timbers

Toss the troubles in, one by one
--a job that’s lost, a child in pain
not enough money, not enough love
too much worry, too much shame
burn, burn, burn

Troubles written
On pieces of paper
Or notes that only say
“Burn this. I’ll know what it’s for.”
Toss them in, one by one
To burn in New Year’s glow
Burn, burn, burn
Let all these troubles go

Answer to BlogHer's Question of the Week" Quirky Holiday Traditions

I've added a tradition to all my mother's British ones (more about that in a future post) that has become an annual tradition for my family.

Each year I ask people to send me their troubles. Most arrive by email, and I send my invitation to many listserves and discussion lists I'm on. This year my blog readers will be invited to send theirs too.

We have a bonfire on New Year's Eve and the troubles are printed on sheets of paper and thrown into the fire. This has become so popular that I often get emails from as far away as Australia and Taiwan. People don't have to tell me their troubles unless they want to; all they need to say is "Burn This!" and I'll print and burn it. Each piece of paper goes into the fire with prayers and loving thoughts for the sender.

We've been doing this for about 8 years, and it's a tradition that has come to have a lot of meaning for me. There are some people who only get in touch each year to send their troubles, and that's fine with me. I just like knowing they're out there. Others send updates, telling me how things have gone for them in the past year, and I love hearing about it. Some have told me they've started the tradition in their own homes, and that's the best of all.