first-footing
New Year's tradition
First-footing is a Scottish and Northern English New Year's tradition in which the first person to cross a household's threshold after midnight brings luck for the coming year.
The ideal first-foot is traditionally a dark-haired man bearing symbolic gifts—coal, bread, salt, or whisky.
To first-foot is to make such a visit: We spent Hogmanay first-footing around the neighborhood.
Scottish year-end celebration
- midnightTwelve o'clock at night
- New YearJanuary first celebration
- ScotlandNorthern British nation
- customHabitual group practice
luck · threshold · doorstep · visitor · welcome · superstition · blessing · prosperity
Combustible sedimentary rock
- shortbreadButtery, crumbly biscuit
- whiskyDistilled grain alcohol
- saltSodium chloride compound
- breadLeavened flour product
silver coin · offerings · token · provisions · warmth · sustenance · symbolism · hospitality
Hogmanay
Scottish year-end celebration
custom · luck · threshold · doorstep · visitor · welcome · superstition · blessing · prosperity · ritual
coal
Combustible sedimentary rock
- shortbreadButtery, crumbly biscuit
- whiskyDistilled grain alcohol
- saltSodium chloride compound
bread · silver coin · offerings · token · provisions · warmth · sustenance · symbolism · hospitality · presents
dark-haired
Having black or brown locks
guest · neighbor · arrival · knock · enter · cross · bearer · caller · outsider · welcomed
- Scottish culturebagpipes, kilts, tartan, haggis, Highland Games
first, foot, footing, footed, footer, footings, firsts, firstly