Enjoy a traditional Hogmanay celebration and welcome in 2024 with these five Scottish dishes.
We look at some of the foods that Scots consider to be Hogmanay staples.
Although Christmas now has the upper hand, if you could travel back 40 or 50 years, New Year was the most anticipated holiday.
The turn of the year - and especially Hogmanay - was popular for a variety of reasons, with eating, drinking, and, of course, merriment topping the list.
The arrival of the New Year is signaled by fireworks at Stirling Castle.
During the Protestant Reformation in 1640, an Act of Parliament made Yuletide celebrations illegal in Scotland. As a result, the majority of Scots concentrated their efforts on ringing in the New Year.
And, a half-century ago, many tradesmen would work on Christmas morning, from 8 a.m. to noon or 1 p.m.
However, New Year's Day was a public holiday in Scotland, with many people also getting the second of the month off.
"First footing"
People were fed when they were welcomed into someone's home as they went from hoose to hoose "first footing" with a bottle (usually whisky).
That could range from a simple roll to a full meal, but rest assured, there would be plenty. Despite the fact that Scots are known for being frugal, New Year's was a time to go all out, and many did so with gusto.
We take a look back at the top five traditional dishes to make this Hogmanay memorable.
1. Chicken or Scotch Broth
If you're trailing from one house to the next, you'll need something to warm you up, and many houses will have a pot of Scotch broth simmering on the stove.
A delicious bowl of thick broth.
Broth is the ideal wholesome dish to serve up to any visitors, packed full of vegetables, maybe some leftover meat or chicken, and pearl barley, perhaps made with stock made by simmering the bones from the Christmas turkey.
It was not uncommon for groups to gather around the soup pot and tell stories or tales from their Hogmanay exploits.
2. Tatties, Neeps, and Haggis
The iconic Scottish dish requires no introduction, and it was a popular meal to have available for visitors because it could be served immediately.
Haggis, neeps, and tatties in a rustic setting.
In the days before microwave ovens, haggis and its usual accompaniments could be easily kept warm and moist in the oven in tin foil, ready to be served to appreciative visitors.
Again, it's a healthy dish that will fill you up and, more importantly, help you soak up the alcohol you drank all night.
3. Stovies
Stovies are another dish that screams Scottishness at any time of year, but especially at Hogmanay.
Stovies are a traditional Scottish dish.
Nothing beats first footing someone and then hearing the words "Would you like a plate of stovies?"
There are disagreements about how to make them and what goes into them, but one thing everyone agrees on is how delicious they are.
4. Shortbread
It wouldn't be New Year's without shortbread, which would be a staple on people's coffee tables alongside finger foods like cheese, ham, and pineapple on sticks, sausages, sausage rolls, and much more.
Homemade butter shortbread biscuits, freshly baked.
The Scottish New Year's custom of eating shortbread has its origins in the ancient pagan Yule Cakes, which symbolized the sun, and is why it was originally offered to "first footers," as it still is today.
Shortbread and a wee dram go hand in hand, so much so that many manufacturers have combined the two, such as Walkers, which now produces a variety that has been blended with whisky.
5 Black bun.
Black bun, also known as Scotch bun, is a fruit cake completely covered in pastry.
Raisins, currants, almonds, citrus peel, all spice, ginger cinnamon, and black pepper are common ingredients.
Black bun.
The black bun was originally enjoyed on Twelfth Night in Scotland and, after being introduced by Mary Queen of Scots, gradually became more associated with Hogmanay when the Scottish Reformation occurred.
By ScotsTee
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