Spooky Holidays

[Margaret]

The best New Year's Eve I experienced was in the Scottish Highlands many years ago -- Hogmany!! All other New Year's celebrations pale into insignificance once you have had a 'real' Scottish New Year. There was fabulous food, including fresh salmon, more whiskey than I have ever seen before or since. The nicest part is the custom of 'first footing". It is considered to be good luck if the first visitor to the house in the new year is a dark haired man. (I'm not sure how that came about.) Because we were in a small village I went with my uncle -- a dark haired man -- to visit a number of houses of the older people in the village who didn't go out to the party. Great thing to do. I remember it being soooo COLD, but one of the best things I've ever done at New Year.