Mrs Finnegan Looks Back with Regret and Prepares for the Future with a Flicker of Hope

Well, how was your Christmas?

If it was something of a disappointment let me put a SMILE on your face by drawing attention to the year I was invited to spend Christmas in a Mattress shop in Mitcham. You can read about it here.

While it is a period of my life that I do NOT wish to dwell on, it SERVES as a reminder that we should VALUE the dull and embrace the ordinary.

But we are now on the brink of a NEW year and there are certain things you MUST do and certain things you mustn’t. (I don’t make the rules.)

Today – New Year’s Eve – you should thoroughly clean the house. That means removing ashes, rags and anything perishable.

It is the tradition in some parts of the country to say black rabbits, black rabbits, black rabbits just before the clock is about to chime midnight. Then, when the clock strikes twelve, you are supposed to say white rabbits, white rabbits, white rabbits. This will bring good luck.

 Also at the stroke of midnight, the head of the family must open the back door to USHER the old year out and open the front door to welcome the new year in .

It is well-known that the first visitor to set foot across the threshold can alter the family’s fortunes over the next 12 months. What is needed is a tall, dark and handsome man, preferably a stranger and preferably with an high-instep.

The height of the instep indicates that bad luck would flow past, like water under a bridge. A flat foot means bad luck, but it is not as unlucky as a woman. Having said that, a dark-haired woman is better than a red-haired one who is the MOST unluckiest creature on this one day of the year. (At this point I usually retire to my bedroom.)

The first-footer should be carrying traditional gifts of coin, a lump of coal, a slice of bread, a bottle whiskey, salt and a black bun (that’s fruit cake wrapped up in pastry). I’ve never known any man arrive with a full set but as long as he has a few pennies to hand over, the new year will be off to a good start as they represent prosperity.

Finally, may I remind you that NO laundry is to be done on New Year’s Day.

Start the new year with a generous gesture and ENCOURAGE a friend to sign up for my entertaining missives. All they have to do is click HERE