The Story of New Year's Day & Hogmanay

January is named for Janus, the Roman god with two faces — one looking back at the year that's ending, one looking forward at the year to come. Rome moved its new year to January 1 back in 153 BCE, when its consuls started taking office on that day, and Julius Caesar kept it there when he reformed the calendar in 45 BCE. But the date wandered for a long time after that. In a lot of medieval Christian Europe, the year was counted from March 25 — Lady Day, the feast of the Annunciation. It wasn't until the Gregorian calendar reforms of 1582 (which Britain and her colonies didn't adopt until 1752) that January 1 settled in across the West. And older than all of that are the spring new years — Babylon's Akitu festival, Persia's Nowruz — a reminder that for most of human history, the year began when the earth did.

Scotland, in her own way, made the night hers and called it Hogmanay. After the Reformation, the keeping of Christmas was frowned on, so Scotland poured all her midwinter joy into New Year's Eve instead — and kept pouring for days. The great custom is first-footing. The first person to cross your threshold after midnight sets the luck of your house for the year, and they should come bearing gifts: coal for warmth, shortbread for plenty, salt for flavor, whisky for cheer. A tall, dark-haired visitor is traditionally the luckiest guest of all. Add torchlit processions, fire ceremonies, and everybody singing Robert Burns's "Auld Lang Syne" as the bells ring, and you have Hogmanay — Edinburgh's is famous all over the world now.

In the Grove: we open the door at midnight on purpose. Whatever the new year is bringing, we'd rather meet it on the threshold, with the light on.