{"id":23886,"date":"2023-12-15T08:03:58","date_gmt":"2023-12-15T13:03:58","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/thesoulpitt.com\/main\/?p=23886"},"modified":"2023-12-16T08:07:37","modified_gmt":"2023-12-16T13:07:37","slug":"the-year-is-coming-to-a-close-by-debbie-norrell","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/thesoulpitt.com\/main\/the-year-is-coming-to-a-close-by-debbie-norrell\/","title":{"rendered":"The Year is Coming to a Close by Debbie Norrell"},"content":{"rendered":"

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We are almost at year-end, and every year we say, Where did the year go? Several weeks ago, I wrote a column on the \u201cfree gifts\u201d I was receiving from charitable organizations. I recently received an abbreviated copy of the Old Farmer\u2019s Almanac for 2024 as a free gift. I love the Farmer\u2019s Almanac. I found some fun information to share with you. If you are a baby boomer, you should be able to immediately relate. If you are younger, these traditions may make you laugh or give you some background as to how your parents or grandparents started these customs. So here we go on to some popular New Year\u2019s traditions. It\u2019s a tradition to make some noise and light around the world. In Thailand, it was once a tradition to fire guns to frighten off demons. It seems the USA has adopted this one. In China, firecrackers routed the forces of darkness. In the USA, for years, we have watched the ball drop in New York\u2019s Times Square. How about that New Year\u2019s meal? In the southern U.S., black-eyed peas and pork foretell good fortune. Eating any ring-shaped treat (such as a doughnut) symbolizes \u201ccoming full circle\u201d and leads to good fortune. In Scotland, December 31 is known as Hogmanay. Along with fireworks, \u201cfirst footing,\u201d or the first foot in the house after midnight, is still common across Scotland. I know my mother always wanted that first foot in the house to be the foot of a man. Christian churches hold \u201cwatch night “services, and according to this document, the custom began in 1770 at Old St. Georges Methodist Church in Philadelphia. Many customs and beliefs are simply passed down through the ages. \u201cOn New Year\u2019s Eve, kiss the person you hope to keep kissing and begin the new year \u201csquare\u201d with every man (i.e., pay your debts). The new year is always a time for a fresh start; let\u2019s see if we can stick to it.<\/p>\n

Email the columnist at\u00a0debbienorrell@aol.com<\/a><\/span><\/strong><\/p>\n

Click Here to View All \u201cLifestyles with Debbie Norrell\u201d Articles<\/strong><\/a><\/p>\n

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We are almost at year-end, and every year we say, Where did the year go? Several weeks ago, I wrote a column on the \u201cfree gifts\u201d I was receiving from charitable organizations. I recently received an abbreviated copy of the … Continue reading →<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"xn-wppe-expiration":[],"xn-wppe-expiration-action":[],"xn-wppe-expiration-prefix":[],"footnotes":"","_links_to":"","_links_to_target":""},"categories":[329],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-23886","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-lifestyles-with-debbie-norrell"],"aioseo_notices":[],"aioseo_head":"\n\t\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t