The custom of firstfooting, or being the first to cross the threshold of a home in the early hours of New Year's Day, was so popular in England and Scotland during the 19th century that the streets were often more crowded between midnight and one o'clock in the morning than they would normally be at midday. If the ""First Foot,"" traditionally a man, was to bring the family luck, he had to arrive with his arms full of cakes, bread, and cheese for everyone to share. He should be dark-haired, not fair, and must not have flat feet.

Today the custom may still be observed in Britain and in scattered areas of the United States.
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