BELGIUM-ROOTS-L Archives

Archiver > BELGIUM-ROOTS > 2001-06 > 0991778982


From: Art & Marilyn Bolle <>
Subject: Re: [BEL-R] Fw: First Footing
Date: Tue, 05 Jun 2001 16:10:36 -0600
References: <20010605.142918.-316029.1.papajoeb@juno.com>


Joseph R Bosone wrote:

> --------- Forwarded message ----------
> From: Joseph R Bosone <>
> To:
> Date: Tue, 5 Jun 2001 12:44:30 -0600
> Subject: First Footing
> Message-ID: <>
>
> Amanda,
>
> I remember when I was a child, my family and relatives and friends of the
> family would all gather together at someone's home on New Years Eve.
> They would eat and drink and enjoy one another's company. Then, as you
> mentioned, they would all go to a neighbor's home starting at midnight
> and then go from home to home to share a drink and New Year Greeting with
> said friends and neighbors. My Mother was Belgian and my Father Italian,
> so I couldn't recall who's tradition it was. This celebration was in a
> small coal mining town, and there were people of all nationalities
> involved, but I know that the French, Belgian and Italians were heavily
> involved in the tradition, and it was a yearly celebration.
>
> I mentioned First Footing to a friend recently and he said he never heard
> of it, so I'm glad to hear from someone else that has heard of it. From
> my recollection, it was a happy time for all involved, and I'm sure that
> New Years Day there were many, many headaches and hangovers, but they
> brought the New Year in with a bang.
>
> Best regards,
>
> Joseph R. Bosone
>
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Although I am of Belgian parents, I grew up here in Canada amongst the Welsh
and Scottish. I was often invited to participate in the New Years activities
by going to their home at the stroke of midnight, new years eve. One of the
reasons I was invited was that I had black hair, which was good luck.
They also called it "first-footing", and you said to them "lang may your lum
reek" - which is interpreted as "long may your chimney smoke"

Veel geluk, Art.


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