It's a new year - how did we celebrate new years' eve? by dancing all night of course! After a hearty pot-luck dinner we went to an underground club called the departure lounge and danced for six hours to Samba drumming, DJs and Orkestra Del Sol. It was fabulous! And the next day we had some first footers. [Scottish tradition, first footers bring good luck, gifts of coal, whisky and make toasts like A guid New Year to ane an a' And mony may ye see(A good New Year to one and all And many may you see)]
We also joined in the torchlight procession, part of the Edinburgh Hogmanay celebrations, where thousands of people walking the main street with fire torches behind a viking warship. The idea is Hogmanay's roots reach back to the anamistic practice of sun and fire worship in the deep mid-Winter. This evolved into the ancient Saturnalia, a great Roman Winter festival, where people celebrated completely free of restraint and inhibition. The Vikings celebrated Yule, which became the twelve days of christmas, or the "Daft Days" as they became known in Scotland. Aptly named if you ask me!
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