SEASONS - Did you know there was a Pooh Day? Things to do in January
Things to do in January in Ireland, am almanac of sorts. Or perhaps just a little list of days to look forward when there is a bleakness in the air. I have heard complaints that January is the longest month, the worst month. We have spent all our money at Christmas, eaten all the chocolates and drunk all the fizz. Now, in a fudgy, sluggish sort of state we emerge into the still-dark-days that are a little colder and wonder how to get through them.
Is this you? It’s not me! January is my birthday month. I feel a little skip in my step at the prospect of dinner out with a white tablecloth somewhere nice. A chance to wear high heels and scrub the children’s faces. These past two years the children haven’t seen enough dirt, the sanitiser is everywhere, every touch, every shop.
I love the clean pages of a new journal, the blank calendar that begs for smart handwriting and new goals. If I close my eyes, I’m still me inside, but we do need to be turbo boosted every now and again.
So what can bring us cheer in January, if you aren’t on the guest list for my birthday party (Let’s face it, there in no-one on the list. It’s another of those socially distanced affairs where I will accept comments on social media)?
1st January - New Year’s Day. Take a few moments to grab your old journal from last year and fill in those ‘Notes’ pages at the back. Ask yourself to write down your 10 great achievements of the year, 10 favourite moments, 10 highlights of the year. Reflect on whether you did all the things you set out to do in the year, if not, then why not? Do you still want to do them? Will you do them this year?
3rd January - Quadrantid meteor shower. If you are in Ireland, look outside between 8.30pm to 9pm if the night is clear, to see the Quadrantids meteor shower. Wrap up warm in blankets with a hot drink and hope to see blue flashes of light across the sky, like shooting stars
6th January - Women’s Christmas. A tradition in Ireland is for the women to have to day off on this day, and the men to do the housework. I don’t live in such a household that we don’t share the chores every day of the year, so this is an excuse to celebrate with a nice cake. This year I choose coffee cake as it is one of my favourites.
18th January - Winne the Pooh day. A classic story that has inspired generations, Winnie the Pooh seems to be loved by young and old. This day is honoured every year on A.A. Milne’s birthday. This year, we will celebrate by reading a passage from the book at breakfast and then playing pooh sticks. We luckily have the most perfect bridge and river in our village nearby.
25th January - Burn’s Night. As a University of Aberdeen Alumni, I feel privileged to have four years of Burn’s Night celebrations to look back on. We celebrated formally in black tie, with lots of ridiculous speeches and toasts, the ode to the haggis and a drinking of whiskey and ceilidh dancing.
Typically the format is to say the Selkirk Grace
“Some hae meat and canna eat, And some wad eat that want it,
But we hae meat and we can eat, Sae let the Lord be Thankit!”
Then you should pipe in and toast the haggis and serve it with neeps (chopped boiled swede) and tatties (mashed potato) . This is followed by a Toast to the Lassies, and a Reply from the Lassies, followed by soe dancing and ending with the singing of Auld Lang Syne.
It could be a fun dinner party to have at home, if Covid allows. Try scotch broth as a starter, a gamey casserole for main, cranachan for dessert, and topped off with cheese and Scottish oatcakes with a wee dram.
28th January - Word Lego Day. What could be more fun (if you have children!) than challenging them to a build to celebrate one of the greatest toys (and marketing coups) ever! Currently on E4 on Sunday evenings we are following the Lego Masters Australia series, which will fill us with suitable inspiration.
Other fun January Things to Do
Make Blood orange marmalade. Blood oranges are in season during the winter months in Ireland. Sarah Raven makes a lovely recipe with pink grapefruits and lemon for a tart breakfast spread on your favourite brown bread.
Eat a Winter reviving salad of citrus with cinnamon yoghurt like this from Green Kitchen Stories.
Download the All Trails App and find a hike near you. I thought we had covered everything in our area but was delighted to discover some new routes only last week (the children slightly less so, but they did each get a pair of hiking boots under the tree, so it is time to put them to good use).