Los Gatos Weekly-Times

The Prowler

Happy New Year to the Prowler's faithful readers! This cat hopes 1998 has started out well and will continue to get better with each passing month.

While the Prowler was seeking a festive venue suitable for ringing in the new year, it crossed his mind that there are a wealth of activities--traditional and modern--that people use to celebrate the passing of another 365 days.

The Prowler knows people who flock to restaurants or clubs to dine or dance the night away. Private parties are another alternative. They save both money (if each guest brings a goodie) and lives (if the host encourages guests to "crash" for the night rather than risk driving home).

But New Year's Eve is more than watching colored balls drop and blowing noise-makers. Scotland boasts an old and unusual festival, called Hogmanay, that many still observe. It's named for the burning sticks wrapped in animal hides that people wave with a talismanic intent to ward off evil for the coming year.

As clocks strike midnight, revelers fling open a house's doors and windows to let the ghost of the old year out and the spirit of the new year in. Utensils are banged to ward off evil. Traditionally, a man representing the lucky "First Footer" of the new year should be the first person to step over the threshold of the door, bearing symbolic gifts representing food, warmth and wealth.

In Britain and some other European countries, "New Water" was part of ringing in the new year. At midnight, people rushed to wells to be the first to draw out water. This "cream of the well" was thought to bring good fortune to its drinkers. Seems safer than alcohol to this cat!

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