Happy New Year 2012

Scottish celebration

If you had been here for Hogmanay this is what you would have been getting to eat. Cherry cake, Madeira cake and of course shortbread which as you can see isn’t home made but was a very welcome Christmas present. The whole thing is a sort of Scottish cliche, shortbread tin and all but this year it’s a tartan free zone.

Jack is on the beer and mine is the Irish cream whiskey – yes Bailey’s. I wish I could offer you some! I hope you all have a great 2012, special good wishes go to everyone who takes the trouble to comment on ‘Pining’ or gets in touch by e-mail.

Do you remember the days when they used to have Stanley Baxter on TV at Hogmanay? Here’s one from the early 1970s I think, he always made me laugh. Can you Parliamo Glasgow?

11 thoughts on “Happy New Year 2012

  1. I am pouring my Baileys right now Katrina! And after watching that video I think I can speak fluent Scottish! LOL! Even though I didn’t understand a word they said, they made me laugh. Happy New Year or Hogmanay and save me a piece of cherry cake:)

    Today is Dave and my 17th wedding anniversary!

    • Peggy,
      Happy New Year and Happy Anniversary. What a great day to start a new life!
      I’m glad you enjoyed the video. My kids would have difficulty understanding it as Glasgow is the west of Scotland and they speak differently on the east coast!

  2. Happy New Year! What is the appropriate greeting (if there is one) for Hogmanay anyhow?

    We’re staying home, just clinking glasses (mine’ll be champaigne, Bud will be enjoying a lovely Eduador scotch) with the neighbors at midnight…always considered NYE amateur night and don’t wish to be playing bumper cars. Tomorrow will stick to my southern roots and have blackeyed peas, collard greens and ham for supper. Bud hates all but the ham. Says the peas taste too much like the dirt they were grown in. Bah.

    Not looking forward to 2012 as it is an election year and likely to be a very ugly one at that (as if politics could possibly get any uglier…) But I refuse to be downhearted. Just as there is always a potential for “worse”, there’s at least an equal likelihood for “better” and I’ll hold out for that.

    Cheers!

    • Hi Pearl! Hogmanay is the last day of the year, followed at midnight by New Year’s Day. In Gaelic you’d say Bliadhna Mhath Ur! Happy New Year. It’s pronounced pretty much like BLEEuh-nuh Va Oooor! the uh I’m pronouncing sort of like the e in sister. In Scots you might say “a Guid (Gid) New Year tae ye!”
      Bliadhna Mhath Ur, a Phearl!
      Evee

      • Thanks, Evee!

        I’m sufficiently challenged with staying out of trouble speaking ‘American’ when I’m in the UK. Can’t imagine the depths of embarassment I’d achieve if I tried my tongue at Gaelic!

  3. Odd – my husband hates blackeyed peas because they “taste like dirt”, yet adores a deep peaty scotch whiskey. Dirt’s dirt, ain’t it? đŸ˜‰

    • Pearl,

      Happy New Year, I don’t do Gaelic but Evee’s blog has it. It’s going to be a good one for you with that family Scottish wedding! Keep positive and just ignore the politicians, I’m certainly trying to do that anyway because I can’t do anything about all the wrong decisions they make. We’ve seen bits of the US debates – oh dearie me !!! (or words to that effect)
      I’ve been dreading 2012 ever since we got the Olympics. I’m sick fed up hearing about it already and how much money is being squandered on it. I’ll be glad when it’s over.

      I’ve heard about peas,beans and lentils being traditional in some places. I’ve never had black eyed peas but I’m not a fan of dirt – or neat whisky – it does horrible things to my stomach. The best thing about malt whisky is the smell from the empty glasses when you clear up the next day, lovely and caramelly if it’s Glenmorangie anyway. We’re having a leg of lamb today which we always have at New Year but steak pie is the traditional meal, supposedly because you can drink a lot if you have a stomach lined with pie! I hope your meal goes well.

  4. Happy New Year!

    Shortbread, I would have been quite happy last night with that! I did raid the biscuit tin at my mums, must get back on the diet!!

    • Jo,
      Happy New Year!

      Yes, I’ve put on a few pounds this week even though we’ve been out walking, so it’s back to watching what we eat – after our New Year feast of course!

  5. Wasn’t Stanley Baxter priceless? I wish we could have had him on tv last night! Did you see the Hogmanay show? I’ll say no more!

    Thanks so much for your lovely comment on my blog! I was going to say as much to you too!

    Email me and we can arrange that cuppie! I’n free except 5th this week!

    • Evee,
      We had to watch, just to see what Jackie Bird was wearing! We ended up watching Lee Mack and Michael McIntyre and they did make us laugh so that wasn’t a bad start to the year.

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