Inspirational English, Issue 42, Jan/Feb 2018 Inspirational English, Issue 42, Jan Feb 2018 | Page 41

T
to an ancient Scottish
New Year’s Eve tradition and means the ‘first
foot’ to enter the house after midnight. Although
not as common as it used to be, it still very much exists
across Scotland and surprisingly also in the Isle of Man.
The first-footer must be out of the house before the
clock strikes midnight, then cross the threshold bearing
gifts immediately after the chiming of the twelfth bell to
welcome the New Year. Traditional items for the first-
footer to carry are coal, a coin, salt, bread, and a dram of
whiskey. Tall, dark-haired men make ideal first-footers,
this concept is believed to date back to Viking times
where a blonde man turning up at the door wielding an
axe was not exactly a welcome sight. The first person to
cross over the threshold brings luck, new beginnings, for
the year ahead, good or bad. An added bonus for the first
tall dark haired male to cross the doorstep is that he can
claim a kiss from every woman in the house.
HIS EXPRESSION REFERS
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