Maine Seasons: New Year Traditions, or Open Doors, Open Hearts

Do you hold fast to traditions? I confess that I do not. I feel that some traditions cause too much stress to keep attempting them. Sometimes life gets in the way of keeping traditions the same way or even keeping them at all. But thinking of traditions I experienced in childhood make me feel nostalgic. Traditions I have been able to hold onto during the holidays are getting together with both sides of our family, my husband reading the story of the birth of Christ                                                                       

This family Bible has an inscription that reads
 "Presented to James and Alma
 [my husband's great-grandparents]
by your mother Dec. 25, 1910. Mrs. E.E. Synder."
There are many family photos of his family
sitting together to read about the birth of Christ from
Luke 2 as well as photographs of our family.

from the book of Luke out of a large Bible that has been in the family 100 years or so, and opening stockings and exchanging gifts. There is something binding and bonding about positive traditions that are kept during the holiday season.

My family has never had a tradition for the New Year. One year we moved into a new house. During others we stayed in. One year we were traveling. It seems that every year we do something different for New Year's Eve depending on the weather, invites out, or holiday traditions we haven't completed yet!

Usually on January 1, after a busy Christmas week we like a low-key day in preparation for getting back into the school/work routine.

In thinking about New Year traditions, I went looking for Maine New Year traditions. I didn't find much, although there is a lot on the web about worldwide traditions and superstitions. (I want to dig into the history books and see what was done 50, 100 or even 200 years ago in Maine.) As for current traditions, I did find a local news story of various "drops" happening, such as a clam drop in Yarmouth, a beach ball drop in Bangor, and a sardine drop Down East. These "traditions" don't seem very traditional to me other than they correlate with the big ball drop in New York City. They sound completely goofy and fun.

I recall two traditions on New Year's Day from my childhood. First is taking down the tree and Christmas decorations and hauling them up into the attic for another year. It was a nice bookend to the holiday season which we started the day after Thanksgiving with putting up the tree that my dad had scouted out and cut down while deer hunting.

Another tradition I remember from childhood was going to my grandparents' farm. Around new year (I think it was New Year's Day) we went to see them and everybody was stopping by to visit. And I recall hot mulled cider.

A hot drink can warm hearts.

I asked my grandmother about this. She can't remember exactly when she would make cider, but she does recall making it. This memory is one of many that stands out for me because it is indicative of all that I love about the farmhouse and my grandparents, a warm circle where I was loved and accepted and felt safe. Even today with no one living at the farm, no other place evokes such a sense of comfort and happy memories.

With all thoughts turned toward improvement and resolutions, I don't believe there is a better way to start the new year than by opening my heart and home to showing love to all who enter my life and my doorway. It is hard to always feel kind and patient. It is hard not to participate in gossip. And there are other stretching circumstances that leave me feeling ruffled and annoyed and not very open to others. But if there is anything I can pass on from the love of my grandparents, it is this, an open door and heart and to eliminate negative feelings in order to keep the door open.

Here's a recipe for hot mulled cider. In Maine cider is usually available year round as there is so much put away in the fall to sell all winter. If its hard to come by in your area, try 100% apple juice. The spices will make up for less than robust juice.

Here's the link to the news story about 2018-2019 New Year's Eve Drops in Maine. I'm not sure how long this link will be available!