FOR AULD LANG SYNE

The above is a piece of battered Scottish pottery, Wemyss ware. It is much treasured. It was only after photographing it that I noticed that the spelling leaves something to be desired.

I am not entirely unhappy to escape Scottish first footing. For those who don't know, the deal on first footing is that the first foot over the doorstep after midnight must have dark hair. Blond or red hair would represent the Norse and that would be very bad luck. By tradition, people carry a lump of coal as a symbol of a warm house (lang may your lum reek), a piece of shortbread as a symbol of a full larder (may a moose ne'er leave yer girnal wi' a tear drap in his e'e), and a bottle of whisky (for obvious reasons).

We knew a man who could recite the poems of Robert Burns all night without pause. By the end of Tam O'Shanter I was usually a bit glazed. I was always glad to see him as a first foot, however. Where we lived first footing went on for at least 24 hours. It is small wonder that the Scots need January 2nd as a holiday as well.

We know a chap in Edinburgh who cannot resist going out into the happy throngs to be kissed by all of the girls. Two days later he has a cold and he never understands why.

Here in Italy, civic fireworks are pretty feeble but the general population makes up for it. The skinny country turns into a war zone. At midnight flares shoot up from behind every hill and there are fire crackers that sound like machine gun fire. It's as if the population is protesting the cussedness of passing time.

Our son was here one year and wanted to send up some rockets. Fireworks are entirely illegal in Italy. Who to ask where to buy some? A policeman, of course. We were told with a knowing smirk.

I view fireworks as sending euro notes up into the air to be disintegrated. I don't get a bang out of it at all. We will be watching from our perch high in the hills, however, drinking a glass of pro seco and remembering times past.

Happy Hogmany, Happy New Year, auguri, felice anno nuovo.

For the record: Cold and overcast. +2