Oneida welcomes a new year with doughnut tradition

On Oneida Nation of the Thames, many adults spend New Year's Eve baking a batch of doughnuts or scrambling to stock up on the sugary treats from the store or Tim Hortons.

They're preparing for New Year's Day, when children from the community south of London will go door to door to collect as many doughnuts as they can.

"It's almost like trick-or-treat," said Grand Chief Joel Abram of the Association of Iroquois and Allied Indians.

Abram said children will carry bags or pillowcases and ask for a treat by yelling "Hoyan!" an Oneida word that roughly translates to "another one."

He said people in the community have been celebrating Hoyan, unique to Oneida, since the mid-1800s to mark the start of a new year.

History of the tradition

Why doughnuts? Abram said the event may have influenced by the Dutch. The Iroquois' very first treaty was made with the Dutch, who also ring in the new year with a doughnut-related tradition in some parts.

Abram said the winter season also marks other traditions in the community, including ones related to hunting, maple syrup and mid-winter ceremonies.

"It's very important," said Abram about the season. "It's part of our ceremonial cycle. It's time for Mother Earth to rest and renew herself so that in the spring time she will be ready to begin the seasons and the living things will begin to come again."

A Hoyan recipe can be found on the Onedia Language and Cultural Centre website. Here's a look: