The 6th Day of Xmas--"Hogmanay"/New Year's Eve

Happy “Hogmanay” to you!  The Sixth Day, famous for having the same number of geese a-laying in the middle of winter, a Christmas miracle in and of itself, is also known by this piggy sounding name, and no one is 100% sure why.  It may have Druidic roots, something about mistletoe, which was cut on the eve of the new year, or it may be a very drunken corruption of the French term for New Year, “Nouvelle Année”.  Who knows?  But it has nothing to do with hogs; that was yesterday.   

Still, we all know about New Year's Eve, and we all have our customs.  One is to drink egg nog.  My old favorite, when I was a young man, getting a nice, wet kiss from every girl at the party on the stroke of midnight.  My current, married-and-settled-down favorite is the rage in Spain: to eat twelve grapes with each of the last bell-strokes of the old year, for good luck in each of the coming twelve months (and increased profits to grape growers).  And so I have by way of necessity come to value luck over kisses.  But since my family does not stay up until twelve, we will have to find twelve bell tones on YouTube to play at roughly nine o’clock.  The grapes are in the fridge, in ignorant bliss of the fact that they are to become the first purplish poop of 2017.  But I overshare.

This is my wife’s favorite of the Twelve Days.  You see, it is custom in some places (my source was a bit vague about where, but Kat doesn’t care) to do a mini “Spring cleaning” on this day, to have everything in the house clean and ship-shape.  Normally, I'd be trying to keep the New-Year's-Eve cleaning thing hush-hush, but this year we're having guests over on New Year's Day, so yesterday included the disgusting clean-up of all the built up nasty in, under and around our fridge--and today means more of the same.  Surely there are some gnomes who could visit overnight and finish it all up....

As far as 2020 goes, make your resolutions, or make peace with not making any, or knowing that you won’t be keeping any.  One idea we've stumbled across in our house is to make microresolutions--deliberately small changes--and just one or two.  And don't make another one until the first ones are in the bag. The author who wrote the book on this is caroline l. arnold (no caps), the book itself is called small move, big change (sic).

So, have yourself a happy little new year (including six more Days of Christmas).  And a big, wet kiss from all of us here at The Cottage on Vine.

VIDEO:  “It’s a Wonderful Life”

MUSICAL CHOICES:
I've beefed up this playlist to include songs about celebration; prepare to dance, laugh, be moved and weep tears of joy--I did. 

This playlist is on YouTube at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wPnhaGWBnys&list=PLdartdqjh56AUFHvYj4EVGdayWiAYnstM   
Your favorite version of “Auld Lang Syne” and “The Wassail Song,” of course;
“Same Old Lang Syne” by Dan Fogelberg

“What Are You Doing New Year’s Eve?” by Ella Fitzgerals
“New Year’s Resolution” by Otis Redding and Carla
“Celtic New Year” by Van Morrison
“Next Year” by Foo Fighters
“My Dear Acquaintance (A Happy New Year)” by Peggy Lee
“New Year’s Day” by U2

  “New Year’s Eve” by Tom Waits
"New Year's Eve" by Joe Walsh
"Happy New Year" by Judy Garland (bittersweet)
"Bringin' In a Brand-New Year" by B.B. King (very upbeat)

CELEBRATION/DANCE:
“Celebration” by Kool and the Gang; 
  “1999” by Prince

Rare Earth - I Just Want to Celebrate

Daft Punk - One More Time [HQ]

Pitbull - Celebrate (from the movie "Penguins of Madagascar")

Dirty Heads - Celebrate feat. The Unlikely Candidates (Official Video)

Kool & The Gang - Get Down On It (Official Video)

Mark Ronson - Uptown Funk (Official Video) ft. Bruno Mars

The Funniest Celebration Fails in UFC MMA

Celebrate - Lake

Tiny Moving Parts - "Celebrate" [Full LP] (2016)

celebrate by Waconzy

3 Dog Night - Celebrate w/ Lyrics

Embrace - Celebrate

Anderson .Paak - Celebrate

Celebration | Playing For Change | Song Around The World

Offer Nissim feat. Sarit Haddad - Celebrate (Original Mix)

Coely - Celebrate

If you want to dance at your New Year's Eve party, listen to my YouTube playlist called DANCE! as well: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLdartdqjh56A9ESxz6bKnb8memoltIwi0