Do You Remember the Shivaree?

Excerpt from Daily Cures, Wisdom for Healthy Aging by Connie Mason Michaelis

My mother, who would have been 105 years old this year, used to talk about the fun they had creating housewarming parties for newlyweds called a Shivaree.  It was a combination of a welcome to the neighborhood party and some ornery friends creating havoc upon return from the honeymoon.  Things like short-sheeting the bed, unrolling the toilet paper, and stealing the lightbulbs were a few of the not-so-endearing gags they played.  It was all in good fun, and it really meant that the friends were happy for the new couple.  Most importantly, it came with a fridge full of home-cooked food and some lovely housewarming gifts.  Although the word Shivaree is not used today, the sentiment of a housewarming is still alive.

The origin of this custom is from medieval times, long before central heat.  Each guest would bring cut wood and build a fire in the fireplace to create warmth, then leave plenty of wood for the season. What makes a house a home for us today?  Margaret Fuller, a 19th-century author, said, “A house is no home unless it contain food and fire for the mind as well as the body.” Home is as much an emotional experience as a physical one. No wonder we are so attached to our homes. Is it possible that during our journey through aging that we will create a new, more efficient abode? It may be smaller, more accessible, and easier to negotiate, but it should have all the emotional connections we have enjoyed at an earlier age. Home is so much more than a physical building; it is a place where we feel comfort and contentment. Let’s be sure to plan a Shivaree to celebrate!