Today is breaking up Christmas at our house -- or at least, undecorating the tree so it can get hauled out of the house thereby helping us avoid bad luck in the coming year.
I know, it's different for lots of you -- some folks take the tree down Christmas night, some leave it up till January 6 . . . or April 1 . . . or whenever suits their fancy. Some people leave it up year round. Whatever works for you.
We have cousins from Florida visiting and, if past years are any guide, we'll eat an excellent meal, drink quite a lot of sparkling wine, and probably fall asleep well before midnight, assuring ourselves that we are celebrating the New Zealand, Austrian, French, or English New Year.
Tomorrow we'll eat greens to put money in our pockets and black-eyed peas and hog jowl for good luck -- another nod to our ancestors' traditions.
Outside, it seems as if the new year is already underway...
I can't be sure but those green shoots just might be more saffron crocus...
14 comments:
Best wishes for a happy new year!
"...undecorating the tree so it can get hauled out of the house thereby helping us avoid bad luck in the coming year."
Never heard of that....
I like to keep the pine tree (now a false pine tree!) inside the house to the date of my birthday...in january!
I love your photos and the story they tell.
Your evening sounds perfect to me. Happy New Year to you and John.
Sam
Christmas trees always come down after new years day.
Spring here in Southern California comes creeping in around February.
Lovely pictures of your paradise in them thar hills and hollers.
Black eyed peas and smoked ham hock or steak o lean is sooo good with butter milk and spring onions
and a big square of corn bread.
seeing green already....we are similar...a rather mild day...we will undecorate when we return home on thursday.....we are among family to welcome in the new year....i like that little scraggly tree....
happy new year vicki
Happy New Year!
did you say hog jowls...faint
happy new year
Since I was gone for the holidays and only did the little fake trees, I put your tree photo on my computer desktop. So I'll switch my desktop image sometime today too. Happy 2014!!
Our main big tree comes down when I get around to it. It sounds like you are having a great time with visitor. Happy Happy New Year to you all.
I always try to take the tree down before the new year... now, thanks to you, I have justification as to why! Here's to a green new year to you and your family!
Happy New Year Vicki! I'll be headed to the store later today to pick up the collards (dollars) and black eyed peas (cents) to bring prosperity to the new year. I am very superstitious about that one! Am extremely thankful that the hog jowls tradition was not handed down to me lol. However, the tradition of getting the tree out of the house before New Years was passed down to me, and I decided as a young adult to reject it. I am happy to report many years of good luck despite leaving the tree up till the 2nd weekend in January most years. :-)
Ah, it's been an eventful year for us both - I have enjoyed sharing through your blog. Very best wishes for a happy and healthy 2104. I must eat some greens tomorrow...
Amazing that you have shoots already coming up in your garden -- Happy New Year -- barbara
Happy New Year to you. I will be taking down our tree and packing away tomorrow which is early for me, but I have my 10 year return visit with a colonoscopy on Tuesday so, I have nothing better to do than stay home, fast and later the fun begins. I will be starting the New Year with a cleanse for sure...:-) Normally I would leave out Christmas decor until around Epiphany...but try to get the stuff packed off before we flee south, mid January this time, watching for a weather break. Otherwise it would be here when we return in March--those good sprites never show up when I need 'em.
Fun reading about your traditions -- enjoy! Happy New Year!
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