A firecracker of a farewell

During the 1970s, New Year's Eve was a celebration for us in Fraser Town; consisting of a middle-of-the-road neighbourhood gathering to party! We'd get together with our friends, gather some old clothes and fireworks, and build an old man out of long bamboo brooms. It was a lot of fun stuffing fireworks into strategic places within the sartorial confines of the old chap's anatomy and embellishing these with straw to substitute for mass and muscle tone, as well as finding and painting a clay appam chatty to serve as a human face atop the old man's structure! A straw hat to boost his appearance completed our artwork.

Visualising with mischievous delight, what would fly off in which direction once the crackers took light and flight, provided for light hearted humour -- wisecracks and jokes--and side splitting laughter would erupt all around.

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Those were carefree, unpolluted times, and the camaraderie down the streets where we lived was unbelievably amazing, tolerant, and unifying... Families of friends would congregate at someone's home after the night vigil and thanksgiving service at SFX Cathedral on December 31 for a piece of plum cake and a glass of grape wine.

At about 11.30 pm we’d move outdoors, to encircle the old man who'd been set up on the street! People around appreciated the revelry; nobody interfered with the artistic work completed earlier in the day, and many passersby joined in too.

We'd circle him, adults and children alike, holding hands and singing traditional favourites like "Should Auld Acquaintance be Forgotten," "We're jolly good fellows/fellees," and so on. We excitedly waited for the sound of the midnight siren. A loud and clear sound echoed throughout the city, signalling us to set fire to the old man and retreat to a safe distance, soaking in the breathtaking sight of him light up the night, sparkle, and burst away in all directions for a few minutes, along with the old year! This heralded the moment to wish all a Happy New Year with an embrace or a kiss, in toast to a truly fulfilling start of realizations of resolutions for each one. With the old year gone, the new one commenced, we’d bid adieu and walk back to our respective homes to sleep some hours, as for many of us January 1 was a working day.