There are stories and memories that do not belong to a single day, or a single season in our life.
These are what has shaped us, moving us through life.
This one of mine isn’t about superstition, or chores, or even New Year’s Day itself.
It is about how my Momma taught me about marking time with meaning
– to work, to laugh, and to welcome the unknown with our hands busy and our hearts wide open.
For Rick and I, New Year’s Day was always the tail of the holidays.
We were exhausted from all the going and doing, and the crazy work, school & church schedules.
We had usually been up for about 36 hours by the time 7 am on January 1 came around
– running solely on laughter and coffee by that time.
This was the one day we never really did anything
– except sleep and rest.
Watch a movie or 3.
No real meal
– snack around on leftovers.
The years of growing up with Momma
– well, New Year’s Day was different.
Our New Year's Day would start between 3-4 am, and we would finish around 9-10 pm!
“Whatever you do on New Year’s Day, you will do all year long.”
So, it was a WORK day!
The ONLY time of the year that if it was Sunday, we still worked long and hard!
No matter the weather, we would not only take care of the outside animals –
milk the cow and feed the chickens, gather the eggs, slop the hog –
But we would wash 1 load of clothes, and hang them out, even if it was raining or freezing.
That way we would have clean clothes all year long.
Open 1 window for the day – to let the old year out and the new year in.
Sweep the house from front to back – sweeping out the old year.
Throw the broom on a fire – burning the bad memories of the old year.
Take the new broom and sweep again – but this time, it was sweeping the porch first, then the living room.
To bring in the new year.
Everyone in the house had to wash their hands and use a washcloth to wash our chests
– clean hands and clean heart for the new year.
Drink a cup of coffee
– to warm the soul for the new year.
But never throw out the used coffee grounds on January 1
– that would be an omen for running out of coffee, and that could not, would NOT, happen!
Drink a glass of ice water – so we would be cool when the weather turned hot.
We would each eat something sweet, if it was only a spoon of honey or sugar – so the new year would have sweetness.
Throw a penny into the cistern, for good luck through the year.
Put a new penny in the penny loafers.
Daddy would have gone to the bank in the week before to make sure we had a brand-new penny.
Everyone had to take a dose of Momma's whiskey & peppermint candy medicine
– so we would be healthy all year.
Light the coal oil lamp
– so we would have light all year.
Clean out the frig
– eating leftovers (the old year) but also having black-eyed peas (for good luck), and cornbread (our daily bread).
A word of argument or disagreement was not allowed
– Momma didn’t want that all year long!
Momma would give me a dollar bill (from the sale of a fruitcake or quilt), so I would have money all year
– then, I would give Daddy that dollar, so he would make money all year.
Daddy in turn would give the dollar to Momma, so she would make money all year too.
Each of us would have to hoe in the garden – at least a foot or so – so that we would have a garden all year.
And we all had to pull weeds from the hobo flowerbed
– pulling the old year weeds from our hearts and letting them go.
All the trash was taken out of the house and burned (taking out the old).
Beds were stripped, clean sheets were put on
- after they were ironed, blankets were washed, quilts hung outside.
The only time we did not hang the quilts outside was if the rain was falling
- and then, it just took too long to get the quilts dry.
Momma would play the radio while we worked, so we would have music in our hearts and souls all year long.
We all had to have at least one good belly laugh in the day
– so we would have laughter all year.
We all had to walk out the back door (leaving the old year)
– walk around the house and come in the front door (bringing in the new year).
Which a couple of times got a little tricky
– when it was freezing with snow or ice.
We would shake hands with one another
– inviting good will and good friendships into the new year.
We had to sit out on the porch at least 15 minutes
– ensuring that we would have fresh air and a front porch all year long.
We all got a package of new underwear on January 1
– and had to burn the old ones, so we would be healthy and happy all year.
The dishwater was always thrown out the back door on this day
– throwing out the old year.
We would have a fire to stand around.
It has been the old wood stove in the living room, then a propane heater with the flames seen.
And it has been a fire in the yard as we heated water for washing clothes, or even just the burn barrel.
Looking deep into the flames, with our own quiet thoughts and wishes.
Not to be talked about
– or they wouldn’t happen.
There was little to no sitting around on New Year’s Day when I was growing up under Momma
– she was against laziness any time, but especially on January 1!
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