With the Festive season fast approaching, we all have our eyes set on the big day of Christmas, plus all the fun lead up events. We have started to think about what we will serve our family on Christmas Day and what gifts to buy. We might even have booked a private chef to cook our Christmas Dinner. There’s definitely a lot to think about. But when do we start to think about New Year’s Eve?
Why is it so close to Christmas Day?
Does it make it harder to celebrate New Year, when you have just celebrated Christmas?
In so many other cultures New Year’s Eve is at a other times of the year and celebrated with different traditions. So, we decided to look further into the history of New Year’s Eve in the United Kingdom. Why we should celebrate it and more importantly, why you need a private chef to cater it.
Firstly, did you know that the only reason we celebrate New Year’s Day on the 1st January is because of the Romans! In 45 BC Julius Caesar ordered a calendar consisting of 12 months based on the solar year. He named this calendar after himself, the Julian Calendar and as a result moved the New Year from 1st March to 1st January. January was named after Janus the Roman God of beginnings as he felt this was more fitting. Essentially, The Romans gave us a time to party when the weather is freezing cold and dark!
With that in mind, does it really matter when we celebrate New year? Well, we have celebrated on this date for over 2,000 years, so maybe it's ok to keep on celebrating….
How is New Year celebrated in other countries? In Spain and other Spanish speaking counties people bolt down 12 grapes just before midnight. This symbolises their hopes for the year ahead and they also hope they don’t choke! In the US, where pigs represent progress and prosperity, pork based meals are a main feature on the table. In Cuba, Austria, Hungary and Portugal, ring shaped cakes and pastries are served. These signify that the year has come full circle and it’s time to start another year.
In the UK we don’t have so many gastronomic traditions for New Year apart from the consumption of alcohol and more recently watching fireworks. So how about looking at other ways to make New Year special in your home? The most obvious answer to us is to book a private chef. Invite your favourite friends and maybe even some family to your home and enjoy a sumptuous eight course luxury menu, cooked in your own kitchen. Mike has prepared a menu for you to choose from of all the items he knows that you will love. Whether it is his signature dish of scallops, to Beef Wellington or a Bakewell Tart. There is so much to choose from to spoil and amaze your guests.
Make 2024 a year to remember right from the start, when you book a private chef for New Year. Your private chef will even clean everything up for you, so you can start the new year with a clean kitchen, even if your head isn’t so clear.
If you would like to find out more, please contact Mike today about New Year or any other date in the Julian Calendar.
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