A history of the house warming party
May 1, 2017 by Brendan O'Neill
Home owners
The traditional way to celebrate getting your own home is to hold a house warming party, when guests bring gifts and everyone celebrates with food and drink. Although it may seem quite a modern tradition, there is a long history attached to the house warming, although the origins remain unclear.
As the 1st May every year is New Home Owners Day, you may be considering a house warming party. This tradition is believed to have originated in France, and should take place within 180 days of moving into your new home. The term is said to have originated from days gone by, when people didn’t have central heating in their homes and a fire would be lit in the hearth to literally ‘warm’ the house. The fireplaces would all be lit, with wood brought along by guests.
The warmth and friendship which is created during a house warming is also said to remove any evil spirits from the home. It is usual for guests to take a gift along to a house warming and although this is often a bottle of wine, there are more traditional gifts. Bread was a popular gift to symbolise a home without hunger, while candles ensure that a home will be full of light and joy.
New Home Owners Day is a celebration of owning your own home, whether it is the first or subsequent. CeMAP qualified mortgage advisers may not be completely sure of the tradition of house warming, but will be able to give advice about obtaining a mortgage.
Written by
Brendan O'Neill
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