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

Here's the link to the entry again, for ease of reference: A8124130
(copying an idea from Annie/GB )


I thought I'd got them all! EMR - I think they're all correct now...

Thank you, that looks like all of them!

Would you like to mention that there are two tunes for Auld Lang Syne? The first is the one that we sing normally (at least here in the States) and the one that's always heard around New Year's. The second, though, is the one that Burns himself favoured, but is usually only heard at folk music gatherings. I prefer the second tune, actually.

V Good and v comprehensive entry .

Only one thing I'd like to mention - you state that the first big street party in Edinburgh was held in 1992, which isn't strictly true. Huge crowds traditionally gathered at the Tron Church in the High Street for years before then (showing my age now). I think 1992 was merely the first 'official' one, i.e. when they started organising, sponsoring and advertising it instead of just policing it, but the official party was definitely a direct descendant of the unofficial one. Although granted it moved towards Princes St following 1992 and got even bigger.

Enjoyed the rest of the entry though, and even learned quite a lot!

"copying an idea from Annie/GB" it wasn't my idea...I copied it from someone else... but I hope it catches on

You also get first footing in the north of england, although it's generally the man of the house who goes out & is the first one of the year to come in with some coal. Probably due to the Viking influence also.
Good post, always wondered why New Year was a bigger deal than Christmas in Scotland.

Scruff

Good entry.

A couple of points:
The bit right at the beginning would look better as a instead of being centred.
Footnote 5 (NOT 'for the sake of auld lang syne') comes across as a bit harsh. It might read better as "Singing 'for the sake of auld lang syne' is a common mistake which many people make."

(Dave Blackeye)
Thanks - not being from the capital, I didn't know that. Please tell me if the bit I've added seems ok.

(Scruff)
I've put a footnote in about this, thanks.

<The bit right at the beginning would look better as a instead of being centred.>
I couldn't make up my mind on that - tried it both ways. I've put it as a now.


True - I wrote it when I'd spent the past few hours telling people the correct words, so was a bit short of patience on this subject. I've rephrased it along similar lines to your suggestion, thanks.


for all the help, folks.
Maybe I can get this finished for Hogmanay 06/07 !

Yeah that looks fine.

This brings back memories of the millenium party when they set off so many fireworks that you couldn't see anything for smoke. I was convinced they were trying to blow up the castle.

I am puzzled by firstfooting. If everyone is out visiting, who is home to recieve them? Is there a way that one finds out if someone will be home ahead of time?



Terry Pratchett's stories often are quite silly but yet have references to real world events. Is his Hogswatch night celebration just a goofy way for a flat earth to have Christmas, or is it also similar to New Year's celebrations?

Nowadays, not everyone goes out first-footing - but they'll visit quite a few houses. What often happens is that someone will first-foot 'house 1', then all of them will go to 'house 2', where a couple of them will stay, but maybe someone from 'house 2' will go on to 'house 3', etc, etc. It's all a bit chaotic and generally confusing, but good fun!

We generally just use the presence of a lighted window to decide if we should knock on the door or not. If a house is dark, they're either out or don't want to be disturbed (because of young children, etc).

Do you think I need to make it clear that not *everyone* goes out first-footing? I didn't think I'd implied that, but it's always tricky to review your own work, particularly when it's a cultural thing.


Good question about Hogswatch! No idea, I'm afraid. I guess he just took lots of 'winter' traditions and did his on them to make Hogswatch. Maybe there's someone out there who knows? (I doubt if TP is going to visit this thread to tell us, unfortunately! )

Hogswatch is Christmas, Yule and Hogmanay combined.

You are correct, I am a foreigner, a Californian. From your article, I didn't have any feel for who would go do the visiting or not, it just struck me as a very fun thing to do and that therfore most everyone would want to.

How about a social context for why someone might choose to visit or stay at home-is it strongly based on tallness, blondness, and masculinity?

ok, I'll try to come up with something. RL's a bit busy at the mo, so it probably won't be for a few days, sorry.

When I get back to the UK in a few weeks time, I'll have another read through the Discworld novels which mention Hogswatch customs. I'd like to see if I can work in a comment about that, although it might be too off-subject . It'll be fun to research though .

My brain does wander sometime, so it may very well be off subject. Thanks to you and Gnomon for your answers, though.

Fantastic entry, Caper, I also didn't realise it was your first!

The only things I spotted that need changing are here:

"This is the custom of giving the house a clear-out before the new year. In particular, it is important to make sure that all the fires in the house are cleared of their ashes, to allow for new fires to be laid and started; this probably has its origins in pagan midwinter fire festivals, although it might just be a practical matter of making sure you can have a fire burning which won't go out while you are out partying. In past centuries, it was traditional to burn juniper throughout the house while cleaning it, to ensure that any evil spirits which might have moved in during the year were also cleaned out.
Redding has largely fallen into abeyance, but most people still do at least some clearing out before Hogmanay, even if it's just tidying up after Christmas in preparation for a New Year shindig."

You need to split it into 2 paragraphs, not just a new line. There's another one further down, I think it's under the Biggar bit.

Nice job!

Just a quick note to say that I will get to all your comments. Unfortunately, work has just gone from a steady pace to way beyond frantic , so I haven't time to do anything with this at the mo.

Luckily, Hogmanay 2006 isn't for a few days yet...

back yet Casper?

thought I'd knok this back up before we forget that it'll be Xmas again soon

How very odd - the author's PS says that they last posted on November 14, 2005, and yet there are posts in this thread dated later than that.