Happy 2024 Everyone!

I hope your New Year’s Eve was fun and exciting. Mine was fun but very low key, playing board games with the family and drinking champagne at midnight.

Today we have lots of traditional things to do: breakfast on oyster stew, take down all the Christmas decorations, and having blackeyed peas and stewed tomatoes for lunch!

When I was very young we upheld the Scottish tradition of the “first footer,” where you have luck the whole year long if the first person who comes in your house on New Year’s Day is a man. I remember my Uncle Charlie, who lived next door, would always be the first person to come over and say “Happy New Year” to us. My mother was very superstitious about this tradition (I believe there was Scottish blood on her side of the family) and made sure she didn’t open the door to anyone other than a man that morning.

In any case, again, I wish you lots luck in 2024 (whether or not a man is the first to darken your door this morning!).