h2g2 The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy: Earth Edition

Entry: Hogmanay - the Scottish New Year - A8124130
Author: Casper - A Guid New Year to ane an' 'a - U2389166

Hi all,

Finished this just in time for Hogmanay 2005. It certainly won't be PR'd by then, but at least you can all read it.

All constructive criticism and suggestions appreciated.

- Casper.
The friendly hootoo .


Submitted 31 Dec 05.

Hi Casper - well done!

Very comprehensive and timely!

Just a couple of nit-picks, nothing major

31st December - 31 December (and throughout the entry) - house style.
= "Indeed, both 1 and 2 January are public holidays in Scotland"

17th century - 17th Century

Your quotes need to be single quotes - 'Long may your chimney smoke.'

Auld Lang Syne - the song should be in italics

Your footnotes need to start with a capital letter, they are complete sentences.

1.5-1.8m = when posting like this you need a space each side of the space thus: 1.5 - 1.8m and 20 - 30,000 people and 20 - 30 minutes.

I personally don't mind footnotes and use them a lot but there are people who will complain at the amount you have used. A good rule of thumb should be: don't use them to break up the entry - go with the flow, for example, your footnote 20 5-6ft (you can just bracket 1.5 - 1.8m) after it and the same with footnote 21 5lb (2.2kg)

I try to stick to less than 13 footnotes, generally use a footnote to explain something which may not be immediately apparent to the reader.

Great entry Casper, I enjoyed reading it

P.S. Amazing coincidence how I posted at askh2g2 this morning about foot-fall, and I've written about the Highland Fling (the only Scottish dance I know) in my Streakers and Streaking entry then I read your entry!

Done (I think I got them all)






All done



I've moved a few of them into the entry itself. I don't think I can rid of any of the others.


I've also done a bit of tidying up that I'd missed before - like capital letters on the French and Spanish phrases, etc, and two errant ‘’s instead of ''.



Thank you - I enjoyed writing it, although it took me a good few days - I don't think I'll be challenging you for number of entries!

<>
The main event is the Street Party on Hogmanay itself, held on and around Princes Street. It gets going at around 10pm and runs through until the last revellers go home sometime on 1st January. = 1 January.

<> One too many "a" there.

<> now then - accents over letters need to be specially-written for guide ML, I believe the page is called "Special Codes in Guide-ML" I do know the é but no others -
Hoguinané = Hoguinan&eacute;

Well done Casper on paring down the footnotes (note for further reviewers, there were around 30 footnotes at the start)I think your 16 is perfect for the size of the entry!

I love reviewing entries like yours, and I'm very glad that you find pleasure in writing, number of entries has nothing to do with it - really! (and I've been writing entries since 2000) Just enjoy yourself!


P.S. I didn't know the tradition of kissing under the was a fertility rite - I just thought it was an excuse for a

I knew I'd miss one - it's done now.


Just the right number now.


Thanks, I missed that one - all the other accents, greek letters, etc were done using the 'ENTITY' tags from the 'Special Character Codes in GuideML' page.


Right, that's it until 2006. I'm a few hours ahead of the UK, so just under 9 hours to go...I'm nearly finished w**k and the party starts in less than 5 hours...




Happy New Year!

Nice Entry Casper

I've forgotten nearly all I learnt about Hogmanay from the couple of years I lived in Scotland, but I do remember it was said to be unlucky for a female or a ginger-haired man to be the first-foot, maybe you could add some on bad luck as well as good luck first-footing.

Happy Hogmanay

Emmily

According to today's Daily Mail, a survey of 2000 Britons (by Piat d'Or) found that, althouh everyone knows the tune to A.L.S. and several of the words and phrases, 88% could not recall the right words to the whole song. 6% admitted to knowing none of the words. i.e. only 12% of us actually know all the correct words.

The article also says that Burns sent the words and a suggested tune to the British Museum when he wrote it in 1788. The words (obviously) survived but the tune did not, and so we sing it to a different tune to that intended.

Just remembered something, I did this last year - 'Auld Lang Syne ~ Hogmanay/New Year Song' - A3421234 it's slightly different from the Entry's version, no idea which is more correct or where I got that from

Emmily

Happy New Year to you too Casper

Enjoy your night!

"A lump of coal – for warmth."

When I was younger, I remember being *threatened* with coal as a gift, but it makes sense I guess.

I have only one substantive question. The chorus and translation of it are as follows in the entry-

Chorus:
For auld lang syne, my jo,
For auld lang syne,
We’ll tak’ a cup o’ kindness yet,
For auld lang syne


Chorus:
For days gone by, my dear,
For days gone by, my dear,
We’ll take a cup of kindness yet,
For days gone by.

My guess is that in the first line, 'my jo' means 'my dear', but though the phrase 'my jo' doesn't appear in the second line, the translation 'my dear' does. But this is all based on my guesswork, so feel free to ignore.

Truly excellent entry. I enjoyed reading it a lot

Good spot!
That's my over-exuberant copying and pasting...
Now fixed.


The words I've got are correct - I've checked them with a few sources. I've added a couple of links for A.L.S. and Robert Burns as well.


How was everyone's Hogmanay? I went straight to w**k from an 8-hour long party which finished at 3am - and I'll finish at 3pm.

I watched Jonathon Ross then the best adverts repeat, love seeing "Rab C Nesbit" trying to have his photo taken in that booth - arranging his comb-over then giving up and having a cigar.

Yes, I admit it - I see most footnotes as unnecessary - especiall when they are too long for my browser to display them, and I have to keep popping up and down the entry.

Your first one, about the Christian new year, could be either left off, as most readers will be aware of which new year you mean, or could be added to the entry - "celebration to welcome the New Year", could be changed to "celebration to welcome the Christian New Year" although personally I feel that this should be 'Western' rather than Christian because the date is to do with calenders, rather than anything religious. Other Christian countries celebrate even christmas day on different days.

I'd say Footnote 2 belongs in the entry as well. It's about the main subject of the entry, and actually contradicts what you've said in the entry - they both say when hogmanay are traditionally celebrated and are different. I'd just use the footnote text in the entry itself, rather than the point that people start celebrating in the evening.

You can read about footnotes here - <./>SubEditors-Style</.> and how they should be used - not for main points in the entry.

Footnote 9 is a really good use of a footnote - it's funny, and not necessary to the entry, but 11 and 12 contain info that anyone wanting to try this would want, so needs to be in the entry.

Sorry to concentrate on the footnotes, but I really think it's important to use the correctly, because if people chose not to read them, they shouldn't miss anything that's important to the entry.

Removed - it's the only NY in Scotland, so I guess that footnote was pointless!


Done - I've redone that sentence.


That comment just came to me as I wrote the entry - guess my mind works a bit strangely...


I think this is done now - there's none left which are essential to understanding the entry.


Thanks for all the help, people - this is my first attempt at an entry for the EG (I don't think A7188636 is suitable), so I appreciate it.

- Casper.
The very tired hootoo .

I didn't realise this was your first attempt! It's very good.

Footnotes looking much better - if this was my entry I'd still want them whittled down, but it is a long entry, so I don't think it's too bad now.

One more 'House Style' thing - we don't list links at the bottom as you've done. You can either make them into a paragraph, or move them between tags. They'll still show up on the right hand side, but not in the entry itself if you do the references thing.

Well done on this one, it's really good.

Should interregnum not be two words, inter regnum? (Second para of History)

Ceilidh (in customs) should be italicised (or not mentioned as they're so awful :P)

The definition of Scots under Auld Lang Syne should go with its first usage in the opening chapter. Though it is related to all those languages it is closest to the old Northumbrian dialect, I don't know if Scots counts as a language I think it is just a dialect.

The Bells - I'm not an expert on the subject but I was told recently that traditionally you don't drink until the bells have tolled on Hogmanay, though obviously this is rarely practiced anymore if it is true, anyone else verify/deny this?

Mightn't you amalgamate the original explanation of First-Footing into the longer description?

Is 'ok' actually a word? Doesn't it have to be okay or OK? (Funny footnote by the way)

Footnote 10 about first-feet is a bit superfluous

Hmmm, your huge description of Edinburgh is a bit imbalanced in relation to Glasgows description, bearing in mind they are the two biggest parties. Is there not more customs to talk about?

Very good informative article, nice work for your first proper entry and very funny footnotes in some places.

I spent my Hogmanay in Glasgow, in halls until 10 then went out onto the streets and bars, everyones kicked out of pubs at 1 o clock and there was huge revelry in the streets with bagpipers, guitar players, people wandering around wishing happy new year to complete strangers etc. etc. (And I only saw one person get arrested....after being beaten to the floor, was rather scary)

The last set of links are now in tags. I'd like to find a way to work them in, but they're ok there for now.


I've always seen it written, and used it, as only one word.


Done.
<(or not mentioned as they're so awful :P) >
oh - you philistine


Done.
You're correct that the Northumbrian dialect is related to Scots, but Scots is actually a language; it was the official language of Scotland for centuries before the French-influenced 'English' took over from the Germanic-influence Old English, etc. (I know that glosses over lots of details, but the evolution of the modern English language is a large entry by itself!)


Now that's one I've never heard before! Quite possible - probably another attempt by the strict Calvinists to restrict 'fun' - but as you say, it's rarely (if ever) practiced any more. I'll have to think about how to work that in, if someone else can verify it.


Maybe this is me being thick but I'm not sure what you mean?


ok


I'm not sure about this. Maybe the fact that I use the phrase 'first-foots' is good enough? What do you others think?


I know - it's the one bit of the entry I'm really not very happy with. I've redone the 'Parties' section just now to be just 'Edinburgh' and 'Other Cities' which doesn't look *quite* so unbalanced. But I'd like to get more info on the parties elsewhere to flesh this out. Unfortunately, I'm 1/3 way round the world at the mo, so am reliant on memory and the internet . Any extra info you (plural) can give me would be greatly appreciated.

for the help.

Glad you enjoyed your Hogmanay!


- Casper.
The friendly (and now awake again) hootoo

The last set of links are now in tags. I'd like to find a way to work them in, but they're ok there for now.


I've always seen it written, and used it, as only one word.


Done.
<(or not mentioned as they're so awful :P) >
oh - you philistine


Done.
You're correct that the Northumbrian dialect is related to Scots, but Scots is actually a language; it was the official language of Scotland for centuries before the French-influenced 'English' took over from the Germanic-influence Old English, etc. (I know that glosses over lots of details, but the evolution of the modern English language is a large entry by itself!)


Now that's one I've never heard before! Quite possible - probably another attempt by the strict Calvinists to restrict 'fun' - but as you say, it's rarely (if ever) practiced any more. I'll have to think about how to work that in, if someone else can verify it.


Maybe this is me being thick but I'm not sure what you mean?


ok


I'm not sure about this. Maybe the fact that I use the phrase 'first-foots' is good enough? What do you others think?


I know - it's the one bit of the entry I'm really not very happy with. I've redone the 'Parties' section just now to be just 'Edinburgh' and 'Other Cities' which doesn't look *quite* so unbalanced. But I'd like to get more info on the parties elsewhere to flesh this out. Unfortunately, I'm 1/3 way round the world at the mo, so am reliant on memory and the internet . Any extra info you (plural) can give me would be greatly appreciated.

for the help.

Glad you enjoyed your Hogmanay!


- Casper.
The friendly (and now awake again) hootoo

Oops - sorry, folks, didn't mean to post twice!

, this is horribly nit-picky, but do you think you could change curvy Microsoft quotes (’) to standard straight ones (')?

Terrific entry - my favourite fact is that first-footers ought to be dark-haired because of the Vikings.