First footing has it died out?

We always had a sit down steak pie dinner in the evening of Hogmanay. Mum had cleaned the entire house. The window sills and doorsteps were scrubbed with Ajax. She washed the ornaments and even lightshades. No dirty washing was allowed to sully the washing basket. She had cocktail sobrani cigarettes out ready. There was cherry cake and fruit cake out too. At the bells the front door was opened to let the new year in. It had to be someone dark who was the first foot and they brought drink, usually whisky. When I was a teenager we congregated at the Steeple in Falkirk for the bells then walked the three miles home to first foot the neighbours. I haven't had anyone first foot for years and years so I think it's mainly disappeared as a tradition. I did first foot my daughter and son-in-law a couple of times. Now, I go to bed. Very boring!

When we were nippers I remember dad or an uncle doing the coal, salt and a bit of bread thing. Out the back door with it, up the side and in through the front.

Goodness knows how you’d do it if you lived in a terraced row!

It’s definitely dying out. These old traditions.

Bars and clubs now for midnight. Plus a lot live in apartments - can’t imagine going down and up in the lift ha!

You've brought memories back to mePaddy Ann, we sat down for a meal at my grans at midnight after my grandad got in he was the dark stranger. My gran had a brother who liked his drink and always turned up sozzled before midnight he was not allowed in and made to sit on the step. We must have stopped for hours talking and laughing then the sozzled uncle used to start to sing mauling hymns like 'Abide with me", and gran turned everyone out.The last time I did it would be 40+ years ago and pregnant with DD I gave up after a few houses in DH village ,my gran had died by then and no-one seemed willing to take on the task of the large party. I wonder if it is more of a Northern thing?

We never did anything like that I thought it was a Scottish tradition
But living in a fishing town the boats all hooted the new year in

I grew up London in 1950's and on New Year's Eve at 12.00 my mum would open the back door to let the old year out and then the front door to let the new year in. I've taken on the tradition and so have my children, so in a small way it carries on.

We still use the coal and salt my late Dad brought to FF us on our first New Year married 47 new years ago.OH takes it along with whisky and food and FF us, then he'll FF neighbours and pass folk in the street on their way to us .We dont do the sit down meal at midnight that happened when I was wee ,we had my mums whole family with us and Steak pie and mash and hot peas served as the Bells rang and the foghorns sounded on the Clyde .The whole street in fact the whole city was alive after midnight back then,Now the generations below us head to bars and restaurants or Glasgow and Edinburgh outdoor events .We still have a few regulars who'll sit and blether or sing a song until the wee sma hours .I like to keep the tradition alive .