Let's talk a little about what First Foot Day actually is. I know you're just dying of curiosity. It is a celebration of podiatry? A foot-based ticklefest? An honorarium for tiny infant tootsies, perhaps?
Not pictured: the rest of the baby
But no - First Foot Day refers instead to the 'first foot' to enter a household in the New Year. Certain first feet are lucky, others are unlucky. In particular, the dainty, stiletto-clad toes of young ladies are disastrous, apparently. I found no reasonable explanation for this, so I decided to go with my old staple: bitches be crazy.
As for the menfolk who should be entering the home first - the first footer must be dark of complexion, small of stature, and... umm... not fallen of arches. Despite my simmering anger at my own lady-based marginalization, I was delighted to see that my short, dark-haired, non-flat-footed husband would be just perfect to first foot into my parents' house.
But why? Why so specific? Apparently (and this is awesome in my opinion) first footing was started in the British Isles about 1,000 years ago. At that time, the isles had a bit of a pest problem.
You know. Pests.
See, turns out it was pretty bad luck for the household if a tall blond dude (AKA: Viking) showed up at its door. So, what better way to bring good luck than to play opposite day with that shit? I'm not 100% on what not having flat feet has to do with anything, but I'm assuming it was a general homage to foot health, which, you know, is always good too.
So, shortly before midnight on December 31, 2013, we banished Justin to the front porch with a baggie of bounty. He waited outside during the countdown and then came a knocking as the first person to enter the house on January 1, 2014.
"BUT WHAT ABOUT THE BOUNTY?" You're obnoxiously demanding. Yes, indeed there is a bounty. The first footer, rife with symbolism already, provides a bounteous offering to the head of household to bring him prosperity.
Joyous bounty. As promised.
The bounty includes five things, each with their own symbolic benefit to the home.
Bread: for abundant food
Salt: for delicious flavor
Coal: for yearlong warmth
Silver: for prosperity
Spirits: for good cheer
Yes, by the way, that is $0.80 and it turns out that, no, there is no actual silver in current quarters or nickels. But seeing as the entire holiday is one giant exercise in symbolism, I'm gonna go ahead and say that those silver colored coins qualify.
Once my dad was presented with the joyous bounty by my short, dark-haired husband, a lap through the house was required. I KNOW. MORE FREAKING SYMBOLISM. If your luck and prosperity has entered the house through the front door, you don't want it to just walk right back out, right? I mean, obviously. So Justin walked through the kitchen, back out that door and came in the front door again one more time before we all settled in for the night.
The whole ritual only took a couple minutes, but it was a wonderful way to kick off the year. The more we thought about it, the more we both loved the concept of physical gifts meant to bring joy and luck to a household. There's something really beautiful about the tactile nature of it. It is easy to say words to someone. To tell them you are happy for them or wish them well. But part of the reason for these rituals (beyond staving off viking attacks) is to show people you care about that they are worth real time and effort from you.
In our case, Justin had to go out on one of the busier shopping days of the year and brave the crowds, but compare that to what people had to do 1,000 years ago to prepare those gifts for their neighbor. Bread had to be baked from scratch. Salt was NOT cheap like it is today - and a trip to the bazaar or trading post was much harder than dealing with pushy people at Wal-Mart. Silver was serious business and coal was most likely being used to actually heat the home of the gifter and the giftee. In our case, we popped over to my cousin's house next door and borrowed a charcoal briquette from a mostly unused bucket of the stuff. It wasn't exactly a hardship.
The point is this: love is action. Words are cheap. Time was it took days or maybe even weeks to gather the bounty one would give to their neighbor or loved one. While it only took a day in our case, it was still more visceral and real than just a pat on the back and a "Have a great year, Pops". It was, in my humble opinion, the perfect way to kick off the new year.
Happy New Year! -Ing
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