Well, hello! A few days too late to say Happy New Year, eh? But well, a wish is a wish no matter when it is made, isn’t it? This is my last post on the Edinburgh Hogmanay series and I hope you like this last installment as much as you did the other two…or maybe more than the other two!
After having danced for a few minutes at the Street Party, I walked with hundreds of others down The Mound, on my way to Princes Street to meet the friends who were waiting for me. You have to believe me when I say I couldn’t see the end of the road or even knew if I was walking in the right direction…it was all a general crowd that completely integrated with another huge crowd on Princes Street. The decorations were beautiful and there were stalls with food and drinks all along the way (just a few feet away from me but yet impossible to get to; I was only being pushed forward by the crowd). The streets that I walk along everyday seemed unrecognizable.
Somehow I reached Princes Street and found my friends standing near the shops to catch a glimpse of the fireworks. 5 minutes to go – a message flashed on the giant screen on our left. I am not too tall, so I had to stand on my toes to look at the screen. We saw some lights flicker on top of the hill on which the castle stood, brilliantly lit in hues of orange and blue. People were readying the fireworks. When there were 3 minutes left for the New Year, a sudden stir and noises of elation in the crowd. ‘Look’, everyone said to each other pointing at the hill on which the castle stood. There was a digital clock projected on the hill by way of lights and it displayed the countdown. 3 minutes to go…the seconds reduced…there was a sudden surge in energy levels in the people. Most people were drunk and tired from all the dancing and singing. But this digital countdown instilled renewed enthusiasm.
10 seconds to go…everyone counted down the numbers with that digital display. And we joined them too, smiling and cheering – 10, 9, 8, 7….3, 2, 1! HAPPY NEW YEAR!!!!! We all screamed on top of our voices, along with the 80,000 others! And the fireworks went off. From 12:00 midnight to 12:05 AM the skies of Edinburgh lit up in gold and silver and red and green and purple and many other colours. While everyone stared at the fireworks, screamed, cheered and clapped (and of course he mandatory pictures and videos and all that!), I took a moment to look at their faces. All the faces lit up by the same striking colours of the fireworks. And all the faces lit up with their smiles too. For those 5 minutes, there wasn’t any resentment or hatred or anger or frustration…all there was, was joy! What a wonderful way to bring in the 2017!
And at 1:30 AM, I was finally home…the energy still high, the smile still on my face…I hope 2017 is a wonderful year for you and me and everyone else! I hope 2017 changes the course of our lives towards a positive, more beautiful future.
A big big Thanks to you, for stopping by this page to read about me and the small moments of my life. A big Thanks for rooting for me and encouraging me to share more with you. A big Thanks for letting me peak into your life too, for sharing with me your joys and sorrows through your pages. If you are ever to visit Edinburgh, it will be lovely to meet you. And it will be lovely to share the usual tea/coffee and strolls. The Edinburgh Hogmanay is a beautiful experience, if you haven’t yet seen it or witnessed it, maybe you should think about adding it to your bucket list 🙂
aishwaryasivakumar 
I enjoyed the whole evening! You made it seem real. I’m especially glad that you did this: “I took a moment to look at their faces. All the faces lit up by the same striking colours of the fireworks. And all the faces lit up with their smiles too.” Sometimes I wonder if a kind of group mania takes over in situations like this, and persons might lose their perspective–if only for the moment. Your writing about this experience allowed you (and us) to enjoy it in a deeper way than than “mere” ecstasy.
(P.S. As a parent who is regularly frightened by the news of violence and abuse in our cities –USA– I was tempted to worry about your safety, but I’m glad to know that Edinburgh is not like certain other places.)
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Hello Albert, how wonderful to have you over! I’m really glad you enjoyed this post. And I know what you mean when you say you were worried about my safety. My parents are constantly worried too, and so am I. But some things need to be enjoyed in some ways. The most you can do is be aware of the situations and surroundings and be constantly vigilant. It’s sad we have to think of these things in the world we live in…
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Good to see you are having a wonderful time in Edinburgh. The year end is not only a great time to celebrate and rejoice but also one that reminds us that clocks can be reset and life can be started afresh.
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There’s no right time for resetting clocks and starting afresh. I suppose it needs to be done when it NEEDS to be done 🙂
Happy New year to you. Cheers.
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