Lots of different seasonal traditions out there...often, it's great to "borrow" from others. I like to do the French Reveillon on Christmas Eve, and I think to celebrate the Twelve Days of Christmas, such as in England and in Germany, putting the tree up on Christmas Eve and taking it down on January 6th, Twelfth Night, would be fun, too.
However, I have that Scottish Background thing, and so that means New Year's. Google Hogmanay, and you'll discover some of these Celtic traditions.
All the green of Christmas has to be out of the house by the 31st (that's "old year stuff"), the house has to be cleaned, food on the table, friends invited (don't forget to get the "first foot" organized ahead of time...a dark man, bearing a gift for the house...blondes can't be the first person across the threshold just after midnight on the Eve)...and on it goes.
I kind of liked the Spanish custom of trying to eat all twelve grapes (at one's place setting, in a special paper "funnel"), before the last stroke of midnight....if you eat six, then it's six lucky months that year! Meantime, though, I've got the brunette man lined up to bring in the china tea cup, the gift for the house, and am ready to welcome the new....with some Scottish music, too, of course!
Auld Lang Syne is from Scotland's famed poet, Robbie Burns, after all!
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