New Year’s Eve is a time to reminisce about the year drawing to a close, while on New Year’s Day we look forward positively, being thankful for the continuation of life. On both occasions, get-togethers with family and friends add to the merriment, enjoying much-loved festive fare, giving and receiving gifts, and making New Year resolutions. Gifts of traditional New Year food add to celebrations. If you are tired from Christmas planning and organising amidst these unusual times, let ‘Tuckerbox’ introduce some ideas. Age-old traditions provide a sense of security, and comfort, adding meaning to special occasions.

AGE-OLD GIFTS

A salt-cellar immediately comes to mind as a New Year gift, with salt symbolising ‘life’. Give salt with a modern touch, such as a packet of Himalaya salt mint candy with its lemon overtones. Or, a selection of salted mixed nuts.

Mince pies also rate highly. Encourage your recipient to eat mince pie on each of the 12 days of Christmas, up to 5 January, with each pie representing one month of good luck, adding up to a fortuitous year ahead.

Gifts of lollies, chocolates or honey signify sweetness in the New Year, while nuts traditionally symbolise fertility of the harvest and of the family. Gingerbread and shortbread also carry festive greetings.

Apples appeal, alluding to good health, while grapes carry wishes similar to those of mince pies, by eating 12 on New Year’s Day. Dried fruit (apricots are my favourite) indicate a plentiful supply of food due to preservation. Still with nature, carrots and cabbage represent gold and silver, respectively, and can be incorporated into a hamper together with the fruit mentioned for a meaningful gift. Symbolising the harvest of the sea, fish is also a traditional gift at the beginning of a year, in particular sliced salmon with its pretty pink hues.

Bread, symbolising life, is sure to be a welcome present, with so many styles available. Cakes represent an abundant harvest due to the grains made into flour, while doughnuts carry similar wishes. A box of attractive cup-cakes, or colourfully frosted doughnuts, will surely bring a smile to the recipient. When I was growing up in Adelaide, pancakes were standard New Year fare. As a gift, one could cheekily give a box of instant pancake mixture, together with a jar of gourmet fruit mince.

NEW YEAR DRINKS

Should you prefer to present a drink as a gift, look further afield than wine or champagne, perhaps choosing bottles of apple cider, cans of egg nog or bottled mulled wine with its spicy aroma. A selection of packaged fruit juices could include fruit-punch for this festive occasion.

After the drama of 2020, let us look forward positively to the coming New Year, encouraging one another with traditional gifts and sincere wishes that symbolise good health, happiness and prosperity for us all.

Born in Adelaide, Raelene Tan is an etiquette consultant and a food and travel writer. She has authored five books and has been a regular guest on radio and television.

Stylist Juliet Harper has some simple, beautiful ideas for finding your holiday cheer in this unusual year. “In so many ways we need to embrace Christmas 2020 with more vigour and enthusiasm than ever before and reward ourselves for getting through one of the toughest years we have known,” says Juliet. “This year, I took inspiration from the Nordic regions of Sweden, Finland, Norway, and Denmark – where celebrations traditionally start earlier, in mid-December – and the celebrations lift spirits in preparation for the long winter ahead. Without some of our children and special family members here and not being able to travel home, Christmas won’t feel the same, but like those in the Nordic countries it’s possible to celebrate in small groups over a much longer period of time! Get the children to help along the way, from baking, to making gifts and planning the Christmas décor.”

Monochrome table setting with a pop of green
A Nordic Christmas look can be achieved with a simple monochrome colour palette and greenery. A great table setting always starts with a good tablecloth and napkins. Pop into Spotlight or any fabric store and make your own. You’ll only need 2-3 metres of cloth and if you don’t have a sewing machine, cut the edges with shearing scissors. I used a simple black and white gingham fabric for the tablecloth. The napkins are made from charcoal linen and finished with a stitched ribbon.

Pine centrepiece
Like the native pine and birch trees of Norway, this large, low profile centrepiece is in pine (purchased from Far East Flora, fareastflora.com) and the candles are wrapped in birch, (purchased from Hooga, findinghooga.com)
Little pops of white and red flowers make it look naturally festive. With a longer period of celebration, an artificial Christmas tree is a sustainable idea. But having some pine on the table gives you the smell of a conifer forest. Otherwise buy a diffuser and get some pine pure essential oil! For the best artificial Christmas trees go to Masons Home Décor, mason.com.sg.

A minimal tree
On the Christmas tree we went for a minimalistic look and my children made edible gingerbread decorations, threaded with natural rope twine. With a few white balls and some feathers, this simple decoration complemented the colours used on the table.

Stockings & crackers
Instead of the traditional red colour, I made Christmas stockings in grey felt with a fur trim. Pre-cut the felt in a sock shape and get them embroidered with names at one of the printing stores at Queensway. If you are feeling truly inspired, make your own Christmas crackers or a little gift for each guest by wrapping in special paper and adding a touch of rosemary, a sprig of thyme or eucalyptus leaf.

Personalised gifts
Homemade gifts are a wonderful way to personalise Christmas and are great to have on hand when you’re invited to friends or they come to you. Get in early to order soap making kits from Amazon (they take some time to arrive) and decorate with dried rose petals, dried fruit slices (make them yourself by drying slices in the oven on a very low heat) or lavender. Likewise, homemade bath salts make a great gift and an activity for the children to do. Make sure you always have a big stash of ribbon, twine, gift cards and wrap to add the final touch to any gift, the Christmas tree, table, or decoration.

Drink up!
For a non-alcoholic cocktail try Seedlip with a dash of ginger ale and a slice of orange peel. For other great recipes go to their website seedlipdrinks.com