Are New-Year's Day gifts a thing?

[GenerationSnowflake]

Just saw a request to help with ideas for children NY day's gift. I had never heard of that before. Is that a thing? Have I missed out all my childhood and equally depriving my kids?

If I have, I won't bother changing now but just wondering if it's a common thing or as recent as the Christmas Eve boxes. I mean, not going back to times when people exchanged gifts on NY day instead of Christmas, more recently.

Not. A. Thing.

Never heard of it. Didn’t they get enough toys/gifts last week????

Never heard of it.

No.

No

No, hth!

No.
Unless it's your birthday.

A 2019 calendar?

phew!

There were 20 replies in 2 minutes, so it looked like many people knew about them. Glad it's not just me then!

No. Hopefully they never will be.

I usually give everyone a miniature at the place for New Years dat dinner. A dram, because I’m Scottish.

Last year it was a thing for us, but only because we found one of DSs presents in the wardrobe

Never heard of this... unless it's people who haven't seen each other over Christmas. Other than that I've absolutely no clue lol

My dear old dad used to give us a diary each back in the 80s.

Not a British thing, but some European countries give gifts at various other times over the Christmas period other than the 25th including New Year

I have heard of it before.

On here. Two years ago and last year. But it was a thread much like this and 95% of posters thought it was ridiculous. A few strange folks thought it sounded like a great idea and decided they’d start a new tradition 😖😳🤣

I have sent flowers to friends before wishing them a much better year than their previous one, but I think that’s different.

Yes. My maternal family have always done this but only if together. So they won't send them to people. It's always something small and something useful. So a pair of tights or a car air freshener or similar. It's to help usher in the new year. To handsel the new year.

They are for my cousin and aunt apparently!!!

So we feel we have to reciprocate. It's only a box of chocolates, but still, I'd rather not! However, if I'm not hosting I'd take a gift of something to first foot with. Usually a small pack of shortbread since we're Scottish. But I'd take a host gift whenever I'm invited for a meal!

However first foot gifts are a thing in Scotland, but it's usually fairly small and edible shortbread, black bun, a drink, or coal!

Should add that we're Scottish as that might give it some extra cultural context. Hogmanay is bigger for my family than Christmas!

Looks like it can be spelled handsel or Hansel though I realise the latter is what I more normally see it as.

I'll have to remember that when meeting with Scottish friends, thank you!

Definitely not a thing here in Ireland. No way I could buy more presents after all I spent for Christmas.

Money for my family (Wales). Token £1 coin or maybe a £5 note for children. I think it’s unusual/old fashioned for our area tho.
Traditionally all debts have to be settled by 31st, so you start the new year with a clean slate.

I spy lazy journalist!

I posted on another thread a couple of days ago about 'the man with the noses' - it was the norm for us, but, looking back, seems to be quite unusual.

On New Year's Eve, we had to look out for 'the man with as many noses as days in the year' (ie days left in the year so just one [s smile] and, if we saw him, he would come overnight and leave us some small gifts - we put out a shoe in the hallway for them. We'd receive a small money gift (IIRC, half-a-crown eventually rising to 50p), bar of chocolate e.g. Aero (yum!) and a pocket diary.

Googling reveals that the man originates in Catalonia but I got a couple of hits for Brits, one in London and one Lancastrian. The latter suggests that he was, indeed, well known in Lancashire which fits, as my parents were born and bred there. Can't see any mention of shoes or gifts, however, so I've no idea where that comes from, but it was a nice little extra to Christmas