Club & Community Events
30 October 2012
Hop Tu Naa!
The traditional Hop Tu Naa celebrations take place at Maughold Village Hall on Wednesday from 6.30 pm. As usual in Maughold you're guaranteed a traditional Manx Oie Houney (the old celtic new year).
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In older times children would have also brought the stumps of turnips with them and batter the doors of those who refused to give them any money. (An ancient form of trick or treat, however this practice appears to have died out.) Some of the older customs are similar to those now attached to the January new year. It was a time for prophesying, weather prediction and fortune-telling. The ashes of the fire were smoothed out on the hearth last thing at night to receive the imprint of a foot. If, next morning, the track pointed towards the door, someone in the house would die, but if the footprint pointed inward, it indicated a birth.
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In older times children would have also brought the stumps of turnips with them and batter the doors of those who refused to give them any money. (An ancient form of trick or treat, however this practice appears to have died out.) Some of the older customs are similar to those now attached to the January new year. It was a time for prophesying, weather prediction and fortune-telling. The ashes of the fire were smoothed out on the hearth last thing at night to receive the imprint of a foot. If, next morning, the track pointed towards the door, someone in the house would die, but if the footprint pointed inward, it indicated a birth.
A cake was made which was called Soddag Valloo or Dumb Cake, because it was made and eaten in silence. Young women and girls all had a hand in baking it on the red embers of the hearth, first helping to mix the ingredients, flour, eggs, eggshells, soot and salt, and kneading the dough. The cake was divided up and eaten in silence and, still without speaking, all who had eaten it went to bed, walking backwards, expecting and hoping to see their future husband in a dream or vision.
Another means of divination was to steal a salt herring from a neighbour, roast it over the fire, eat it in silence and retire to bed.The future husband was expected to appear in the dream and offer a drink of water.
The exact traditions varied across the Island, with different words for the various songs depending on which town you came from and so on.
Turnips still in Shoprite today, so it's not too late! Go to it!
¶ 15:02