Yes, I know: New Year's Eve has come and gone. The confetti has (hopefully) been all cleared, and the hangovers are over.
Nonetheless I wanted to highlight the unique ways that several North Carolina places ring in the New Year.
Here in Raleigh, we like to lower a giant acorn down from a crane on Fayetteville Street. It's a strange mix of appropriateness (the acorn), urban (the setting) and hokey (the crane). In short, I love it.
But according to this report, there are some traditions that are even more, um, interesting.
"Mount Olive has the pickle drop. ... The pickle drop features a 3-foot lighted pickle replica lowered down the flagpole of Mt. Olive Pickle Co. for the 10th year. ...
"Brasstown has a possum drop" where a live animal, "in a cage, is gently lowered" from atop a country store's roof.
Another N.C. New Year's tradition is Cherryville's shooters. "The New Year's Shooters preserve the area's German heritage by honoring the custom of beginning each year with a chant and the shooting of muskets," according to Wikipedia. There is even a statue in "Chirville" recognizing the event.
Know of some other interesting New Year's traditions?
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