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Celebrating New Year's around the World!, Share your traditions here

Gilderoy Lockhar... Gilderoy Lockhart View Member Profile	Dec 31 2008, 05:46 PM Post #1
Most Charming Smile Award Winner Posts: 147 Joined: 11:52pm January 24, 2007 Location: signing autographs anywhere and everywhere	Happy New Year to all of my Fans! One of my favorite things about traveling the world while writing my books was learning about new cultures and celebrating the holidays in different places. (Or at least that's what they tell me). I have some pictures that show me posing in the middle of a crowd in Times Square on New Year's Eve. Apparently, the big thing to do if you live near New York City is to go to Times Square and see the crystal ball drop. But I have a note here in this old journal, reminding me never do it again! Apparently too many people who had too much to drink in too tight of a space wrinkled my periwinkle robes. Seems like it would have been fun though, to count backwards from ten with a million other enthusiastic folks. Did I tell you? I can count backwards from ten now! Please pick a question or two and share your thoughts with Lockhart. He hasn't had any visitors in a while... *How do you celebrate in your* city or small town? Does anyone have the inside scoop on how Seamus Finnegan might celebrate in Ireland, or Cho Chang in Scotland? Anyone from Bulgaria here who could guess what Victor Krum is doing on the big night? Fleur in France? Does anyone have any idea how Hagrid would celebrate New Year's? Why do you think we don't see Harry and friends celebrating at Hogwarts?** Hit reply and let us know!

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Replies (1 - 9)

wendybird3 View Member Profile	Jan 3 2009, 08:08 AM Post #2
Saucy Sorceress of the Shrinking Solution Posts: 645 Joined: 3:03pm January 11, 2008 Location: New Jersey	Hello Gilderoy, I thought I would visit with you for a few. I live in NJ not far from NYC and was born and raised in the NYC area and I have NEVER been to Times Square on New Years Ever and I dont think I will ever go. The reason? Just what you said, too many people who have had too much to drink all crammed together in too small a space. My family, we stay home, order Chinese food and watch movies and then if any of us have stayed awake until it happens, we watch the ball drop happen safe and warm in our living room on the telly (TV here in the states). Our town doesnt do anything but some towns near by do whats called a First Night party. An alcohol free town wide party to celebrate. As for Hagrid I am going to venture a guess and say he would head to the Three Broomsticks and drink a few gallons of ale or firewhisky. -------------------- The most beautiful things in the world cannot be seen or even touched, they must be felt with the heart Life is not measured by the number of breaths we take, but by the moments that take our breath away

10thweasley View Member Profile	Jan 3 2009, 11:33 AM Post #3
Flesh-Eating-Slug Catcher Posts: 176 Joined: 1:59pm December 30, 2007 Location: in the Harry Potter world forever	Well my family always watches the ball drop in Time Square on TV though this year my town started a new tradition of dropping a giant Crystal Pelican downtown at midnight, so I think my family and I will go to that every year now. On New Year's Day it's my dad's birthday, so it's up to him what we do, but we always squeeze in time to watch The Twilight Zone on TV. Seeing as I live in the Southern Part of the U.S we always have a southern meal of mashed potatoes, black-eyed peas and ham with a dime hidden somewhere, yeast rolls and chicken! -------------------- "You think the dead we loved ever truly leave us? You think that we don't recall them more clearly than ever in times of great trouble?"

The-T-Dane View Member Profile	Jan 3 2009, 01:12 PM Post #4
Muffin Mistress Posts: 2,191 Joined: 10:42pm March 8, 2008 Location: RG Cookie Factory - reciting: "Oven at 350 F is too warm to touch with bare hands"	Well, Locky, here we have some mixed tradition, but the most conservative one is having boiled Codfish with potatoes and mustard-sauce. More modern dishes to the event is Fondue or a piece of expensive roast of a kind (mostly from cow - top of legs as far as my dictionary tells) with baked potatoes and salad of a kind. Many here takes the opportunity to celebrate with friends after having been with family all Christmas Fireworks are a huge part of the party-scene, and everybody participate that wants to. Or we go outside to see the other crazy people firing a lot of money up in the air! Common to us all - most of us - are at 18.00 (6 pm) where our queen gives her speach to the whole country via multiple tv-stations. Then at 23.50 on our national TV station they show the huge clock on our Capital's "Rådhuset" and the countdown begins. It's the building where the city's Town Hall resides and it's a very old and dusty clock but it's tradition! Then all around the country when the first "Dong" has sounded, the new year has started, people sing our national anthem (I think ) and go on with partying or go to bed or just go on watching tv (Peter Sellers' "Come wash my elephant" has become tradition on TV!) Me - I had a nice evening for myself for the first time in my life on New Year's Eve. Minding the bunnies so their houses weren't catching fire from the rockets and what-not, but really it was also an excuse to just be alone and have a moment to just think! Daughter I'd persuaded to go to Germany and celebrate with her boyfriend and his family and she had a fabulous time there. We communicated via MSN and it was a perfect evening for both of us! Why do you think we don't see Harry and friends celebrating at Hogwarts? I don't remember having ever read that New Years meant anything particular to people before modern time? I haven't found any traditions going back in time 'cause neither Christianity nor alchemically or in peasant-culture is there anything to celebrate. And I think the Wizard World is very traditional in that sence, so it even surprice me they have Christmas-celebrations unless it's to celebrate the turn of year where light is coming back having come past the shortest day of the year. Here Christianity adopted our celebrations for the light returning to put a stop to the unholy traditions - but we kept some traditions like letting the house-pixie have a bowl of porridge up in the attick to prevent him from making the milk sour and the animals frightened! So we didn't give up all together! -------------------- Sorting is on for HBP! Follow the Lily and Stag on twitter, too! sig: twiddlethosedials

JaneMarple9 View Member Profile	Jan 3 2009, 01:52 PM Post #5
Neville's Biggest supporter Posts: 11,843 Joined: 8:51am January 28, 2006 Location: On V.S.D.G.	I don't think New Year is important in the wizarding world, although Christmas is. Curious, as Jo is from Scotland, and Scotland is "big" on Hogmany (or New Year) Here is more information about it. There are always lots of fireworks at New Year around our area of England, and sometimes we go in neighbours houses at midnight to celebrate This post has been edited by JaneMarple9: Jan 3 2009, 01:53 PM -------------------- (Slug siggy by silviera, Neville siggy by Dreamteam, Marple siggy by SnapesSister and Avatar by Hagiographer13)

hogwartsrealty View Member Profile	Jan 3 2009, 03:12 PM Post #6
Just Through the Brick Wall Posts: 2 Joined: 2:40pm January 3, 2009	Harry New Year to you all! I'm an older wizard who avidly monitors the magical world and shares news with my two young magical offsprings and husband. Our New Year's has, for the past 12 years, included sleeping under our Christmas tree on New Year's Eve. We have a Harry Potter tribute mini-tree as well, but we can't all jam under it, so the 7 1/2-foot-tall tree must suffice. We may watch the NYC Times Square ball drop and the crowds there freeze to just a few breaths from death, but generally, we light a fire, eat holiday leftovers, drink sparkling apple cider, watch a movie rental, learn to play new Christmas-gotten games, and snuggle. This year we added a neighborhood family to the mix and broke out the new games and the raclette machine, which--for those of you unfamiliar with this yummy food--is a stinky cheese that you slice, insert by tray into the melting machine, and then pour over boiled red potatoes, mini-pickled items, ham or sausage, and bread. Mostly potatoes, though. It is SO good. The true way to experience raclette, though, is with a giant block of the cheese, which you hold near the fireplace to melt its surface and then scrape off onto the veggies and bread. However, the machine is neater and easier for us. If you get a chance, try it! After all, that's what makes the years special--all those new, shared experiences! Here's to a peaceful, fun and cheese-filled 2009!

Luna_Lovegood View Member Profile	Jan 3 2009, 03:15 PM Post #7
On a Snorkack safari Posts: 59 Joined: 7:09pm February 5, 2005 Location: Looking for Nargles	Oh, who's Jo? Is she a friend of yours? -------------------- Avatar art by Makani

LillianJames View Member Profile	Jan 3 2009, 03:16 PM Post #8
Cauldron Bottom Measurer Posts: 100 Joined: 1:59pm July 20, 2007 Location: Under the beech tree by the lake, rereading Books 1-7	hogwartsrealty, Love your idea of sleeping under the Christmas tree! i always wanted to do that as a child. Might just have to try it now!! -------------------- "It is our choices, Harry, that show what we truly are, far more than our abilities." Albus Dumbledore

the1minority View Member Profile	Jan 3 2009, 05:03 PM Post #9
Monster Book Stacker Posts: 354 Joined: 4:14pm November 1, 2005 Location: Head in a book (Netherlands)	I celebrated New Year in the Netherlands this year with my mum, and they do it NUTS! From 10 am til about 1am the next day, they set off fireworks (not even dark so how are they supposed to admire the prettiness?!), they seem to enjoy the noise they make.. Ear plugs next year, I'm telling you! Then at midnight, they put Amsterdam on TV where an artist performs a song and then counts down, You see flashes into some exclusive party going on. The town I'm visiting just goes nuts with fireworks mainly, New Years Eve is the only day that fireworks are sort of legal in The Netherlands so they sure make the most of it! -------------------- Love while the night still hides the withering dawn...

MesserMoony View Member Profile	Jan 3 2009, 05:59 PM Post #10
Cauldron Bottom Measurer Posts: 122 Joined: 9:54pm January 2, 2009	I live in SmallTown, TheMiddleOfNowhere we like to eat the xtra corn that the farmers bring in once a year. You decide if that is true of not -------------------- I run a fansite! Check it out at http://hpcrossroads.webs.com/

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