Happy New Year: Traditions help area families celebrate holiday
Katherine Mansfield
Many people have a tradition of making resolutions to celebrate the new year.
Katherine Mansfield/Observer-Reporter
New Year蘑菇视频 pretzels are a part of many Southwestern Pennsylvanian蘑菇视频 holiday traditions.
鈥淭hree, two one,鈥� the ball drops, signals midnight, glasses clink and noisemakers welcome a new year.
Open the door, out with the old and in with the new; pile high a plate with pork and saurkraut, and a doughy pretzel, just for good measure.
New Year蘑菇视频 traditions, born of superstition, rituals that celebrate a fresh start, give structure to the 12 months ahead. Creating a list of New Year蘑菇视频 Resolutions is one of the most popular 鈥� and oldest 鈥� traditions.
Nearly 4,000 years ago, the Babylonians began celebrating the changing years. They made lists of debts to repay and promises to keep in the new year in much the same way we promise ourselves we鈥檒l drink more water or work out more regularly come Jan. 1.
Resolutions go into effect after the ball drops, another time-honored tradition steeped in history.
In 1833, a ball was installed at the top of England蘑菇视频 Royal Observatory and dropped daily at 1 p.m. so captains of ships could set their navigation instruments.
Similar time-keepers were installed around the world and, in 1907, a ball made of wood and iron descended from atop One Times Square to mark the new year.
While many Southwestern Pennsylvanians will list their resolutions and gather with family and friends to celebrate the ball dropping, they鈥檒l also practice lesser-known traditions on New Year蘑菇视频 Eve.
No gathering, big or small, is complete without the very Pittsburgh tradition of a New Year蘑菇视频 pretzel.
鈥淲e鈥檝e been doing this as long as we鈥檝e been open,鈥� said Michelle Greiss, who has worked at Krency蘑菇视频 Bakery in Washington for a decade. 鈥淭here蘑菇视频 apricot, cream cheese, cinnamon, nut, and 鈥� raspberry.鈥�
Bethel Bakery, too, has been in the NYE pretzel business for decades 鈥� more than 50 years, according to Amanda Langer, who has been with the bakery in North Strabane for six years.
While Krency蘑菇视频 is still selling pretzels to walk-ins, the cut-off date to order a New Year蘑菇视频 pretzel from Bethel Bakery was Dec. 28. The bakery sold 4,300 pretzels this year, Langer said.
According to tradition, the large, sweet or Danish-dough pretzel 鈥� which originated in southwestern Germany and gained popularity in Sandusky, Ohio, before becoming a staple in Southwestern Pennsylvania 鈥� brings good luck when shared with family and friends New Year蘑菇视频 Day.
Kaitlyn Ornot, who grew up in Washington and now lives in Claysville, said most years she bakes a New Year蘑菇视频 pretzel. This holiday season she蘑菇视频 under the weather but, although there蘑菇视频 no pretzel in her holiday plans, Ornot will continue a handful of her favorite traditions.
鈥�(I) have money in my hand at midnight so I have money in the new year,鈥� Ornot said over Facebook. 鈥淭he money must belong to you too, it can鈥檛 be borrowed.鈥�
Ornot also opens the door at midnight, to let out the old and let in the new, a take on the Irish tradition of opening the front door to welcome the new year, and the back door, to let the old year out.
Friends and family will enter the front door of Bobby Dellorso蘑菇视频 home in Canonsburg New Year蘑菇视频 Eve for a decades-old tradition of making homemade pork sausage.
Dellorso said his grandparents started the tradition, and eating sausage 鈥� with saurkraut 鈥� is said to bring good luck in the new year.
Other lucky foods to add to your grocery list for New Year蘑菇视频:
n Round fruit, in the Phillippines, it蘑菇视频 customary to eat 12 round fruits, for luck every month;
n 12 grapes, a Spanish tradition;
n Long noodles, a Japanese tradition that promotes longevity in the coming years.