Tuesday Cuppa Tea for A New Year's Eve And First of 2018

Welcome to Tuesday Cuppa Tea for the New Year of 2018!
Hoping you had a wonderful Christmas and Hanukah, or any other winter holiday you hold dear!
Ours was quiet, snowy and cold!

A Happy New Year to you! We always take time on New Year's Eve to pray for God's blessing for the coming year and thank Him for His grace through the ending year. This has been a difficult year for many, and we are praying for His grace and mercy as we move into 2014. It just seems the fitting way for us to end one year and begin another...

New Year's Eve...the last one...in London, with the London Eye....

My Auld Lang Syne tea really developed out of the 1930s blue transferware large farmer's or uber-breakfast sized cup and saucer I found a few weeks ago...

The really large breakfast cup and saucer features an 18th century couple and has the famous lyrics to Robert Burn's poem/song

Take ye a cuppe o'kindnesse 

for auld lang syne

which is roughly take a cup of kindness

for old time's sake

The verse comes from a poem by Robert Burns who wrote it in 1788. It has become such a staple of New Year celebrations all over the English speaking world, and has been translated into thousands of languages.

A number of other potteries made versions of this over the years in one form or another. I have shared my Wedgwood version of it before....

This particular transferware design is actually being made, in a far rougher and heavier version, in China which you may see...blurry and rough...sometimes with misspellings...which is quite fun!

The set was made by British Anchor Pottery, Ltd. which existed from 1884 to 1970. From the 1940s theye were merged and manufacturing together with J. & G. Meakin. After World War II they resumed production, were then acquired by Gailey Group which also had Thomas Poole & Gladstone. But in 1970 they stopped British Anchor production.

This mark dates this cup and saucer to 1913 to 1940 when the war stopped production.

I also have out my family Royal Doulton Rosebud china from our holiday meals....Love it!

And...surprise! Surprise! Some antique and vintage New Year postcards and cards which I love too!

This one is by Gibons simply says New Year Greetings from 1922

This is wonderful art deco 1930s card that says

New Year Greetings

Happiness, health

and the best of cheer

To you and yours

in the coming year

I echo that for you!

This is from 1908 with a good luck horseshoe and A Happy New Year and penciled in To All. 

This one is from 1915 and says

A New Year Greeting

Not only for today

But for all the time may

Happiness attend

Thee

with hand written dedication and signature

Lastly, from 1916

Greetings and

Good wishes for

the New Year

Our tea today, is a gift from a friend for Christmas... a tin of Keep Calm and Carry On English breakfast tea...so sweet of her and I LOVE the tin!

And for a goodie with our tea...an English treat I haven't had for years sent by another friend...Tunnock's Dark Chocolate Tea Cakes...

The tea cakes are a shortbread type cookie base with marshmallow cream and a dark chocolate layer. Yum!

Besides New Year's Eve...it's also Hogmanay!

In England and other areas of the UK, especially in Scotland where Hogmanay is celebrated from Dec. 31st until Jan. 1st (known as Ne'erday) as the New Year's tradition, one of the old traditions is called First Footing. 

The First Footer refers to the first person who crosses the threshhold after midnight and "seals yer fate" for the coming year. The First Footer should be a tall, dark and handsome man with a "dainty foot" and come with certain things:

Until the First Footer came in the front door after midnight, no one should enter or leave. The First Footer would knock, be asked to enter and do so with gifts in his pockets which have regional variations. The usual in my family's tradition was bread or sometimes salt, coal, coins and matches. In Scotland the bread is shortbread and also included...what else? Whiskey! The First Footer then backs out of the door...so he won't take his good luck with him. Then the door (and the party) is free for all! 

The coal means your hearth won't grow cold, your bread is enough food, the coins insure prosperity and the matches, light.

First Footers who met the criteria, were in great demand and could make good money going from house to house by appointment. I don't know how many do so today, although a Scots neighbor said the gifts nowadays are more likely whiskey!

So who will be first through your door??? I know who will be first in our home, as He will never have left! A Happy New Year to you all and may 2012 be a year of health, prosperity, peace and happiness in our home and in yours!

So Happy New Year! And thanks for joining me for a cup of tea and achat with friends.

From me to you, as the postcard says below...

All New Year Joys Be Yours!

I am joining:

 Tea Cup Tuesday 
 Bernideen’s Teatime, Cottage and Garden
Home Sweet Home

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Here is the Tuesday Cuppa Tea linky for your tea related posts...please remember that it is SSSLLLOOOOOOWWWW but if you are patient...it's there!  I am so looking forward to visiting you!

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