The New Year's Letter...
On January 1, the time had come again. At the traditional New Year's drink with the family, the New Year's letter also appeared again.
My son was a bit stressed, because reading an entire letter to the whole family is a thing when you're 12 years old, have an ASD. But he did it brilliantly. A 20-year-old sister also maintains the tradition and will entertain everyone again this year with a slightly mocking but, above all, funny letter. The New Year's letter is really a tradition in our family, but above all a very local, Flemish event. Even my Dutch in-laws, who live just across the border, don't know how to use it. But where did that tradition come from?
Well. for that, we need to go back to the leading Flemish printing families in the 16th century. In 1563, the French king decided that the new year began on January 1. Before that, each region had just about its own date. But this changed on January 1, 1564, and more and more regions gradually maintained this date, and in 2023, January 1 is almost universally the first day of the year (except China).
Now, the first letters were written on this occasion and one of the oldest preserved ones was written by Antwerp printer Jan Moretus, son-in-law of the famous printer Plantijn.
The early New Year's letters were written in Latin and mostly in rhyme. So initially it was really a custom that existed in the higher circles of society. These letters were addressed to the parents, grandparents, godmother and godfather. The young person wished the persons concerned good luck, peace and good health. It was also the time to show what they had learned that year when it came to writing and reciting. As a thank you, the child received a gift or a penny. Later, this custom also spread more and more into the lower social classes and became a common Flemish custom. Today, just about every Flemish schoolchild between 3 and 12 years old recites a rehearsed verse, or reads aloud a letter.
In my time (oh how old I sound now), we had very nice double-folded letters with a nice print. These were then described on the inside. My kids made their own letters at school, and that also has its charm. More importantly, this 400-year-old tradition is not lost. Because despite the child's stress moments, it still has something. such a letter.
The Story Witch,
NOTE: By the way, my own godmother was so proud of these letters that she kept mine. So in the picture you can see the letters that I wrote as a child.
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Nieuwjaarsbrief 2023 : een acrostichon