CALLING ALL SCOTS...... NEW YEAR FIRST FOOTING

[magicofchristmas]

Going first footing tomorrow night (haven't done this for years) and would like to take the traditional piece of coal, black bun etc.

Any ideas where in the south east of England I could find black bun pls, also what are the other things you would normally take too?

pah - it's not just the scots that do that you know - I remember First footing when I was little growing up in the NE of England

I would take booze

Not sure where you would get black bun tho.

Marks and Sparks?

Bottle of spirits and some shortbread

GOLD lol..... iv,e been in the south east for 20yrs and have never seen anyone do this unless they were Scots.......

I stand corrected tho lol

aGal yep taking the booze as thats part of it and would go down a lot better than a piece of coal no doubt

I'll try m&s thanks

A bakery might do black bun?

Yes the drink will get you entry anywhere lol

I thought the black bun was to mimic coal - opps - up noorth we just take a bottle of whisky

would black bun be known as another name down here?

JUst thinking if I went into the bakery and was met with a blank stare?????

Black bun as a very rich fruit cake encased in pastry.
Don't think it'll be easy to get down south TBH

I'd forget the black bun actually and just take booze. That's what we have always done up here.

I think (correct me if wrong) it's something along the lines of

COAL.... always have warmth
Black bun.... always have food in your cupboard
A COIN....always have money in your purse

???????????
This is what I remember from childhood, but, hoping somone else he3re might have right meanings.

We always substitute the black bun for a madeira bun! Dad is tall and dark and so is sent out straight after the bells with a bottle of malt, a bit of coal and a bun, so we can be sure not to be first-footed by any small blonde people! So hope you are tall, dark and handsome, OP!

Maybe i'll just do the shortbread Macdog.
I'm gutted as was in Scotland yesterday as well and could have brought with me.
Party i'm going to the people are not from the UK but like traditions thats why I wanted to make the effort.

JJJ i'll have to grab a stranger off the street

Well, grabbing a stranger off the street IS also very in keeping with the Scottish Hogmanay tradition! All the best NYE parties are made up of random strangers. When I was younger you could wander into any house at Hogmanay and get a wee dram and a welcome...

JJJ know exactly what you mean.

Your door was always open for anyone to walk in and party. Tall dark and handsome stranger WAS the traditional way, but, nowadays if a TDHS came to your door you'd put the chain on and wonder if he was going to rob you.....

Tis a sad sad world we live in now

Here's tae a guid new year tae ye a'

[raiss a glass to all MNetters]

Cheers, magicofchristmas! hae a braw wan- and a guid swallae on the night! we have friends coming to stay- I love having a full house at Hogmanay!

Isn't black bun just an east coast thing? We always do shortbread.
Poor DH hasn't been inside for the bells since we got married - always sent out at five to midnight so that he can come back in [smug at being married to a tdh man]

have a guid new year when it comes everyone.

I'll raise a glass to all my MN friends