Ceremony suggestinons for first ignition?

[pybyr]

OK, I am further than I'd like to be from first ignition, especially the way that we've gotten an early slug of cold weather; the rest of life, especially the day job, has given me less time than I'd have foreseen to do the bolting-up.

but, partly for fun and partly to give me things to look forward to (and not just worry and stew about the fact that I am so far behind the schedule I'd aimed for)

I'd like to solicit ideas for an appropriate "first fire" ceremony when I get there.

I thought of this because I was remembering once visiting a huge electric utility installation that had been engineered and built by some scandanavian company (a couple of decades before my visit) and my friend who was giving me the tour pointed out to me that, sitting on top of various pieces of digital, solid state, and extreme high voltage (hundreds of kilovolt) equipment were these ornate elaborately decorated little blue wood horses.

Apparently when the whole place was finished construction, but before someone threw the switch for the "first run," the scandanavian engineers and work crews placed these little icons in various carefully-chosen spots, then said some incantation, and then threw the switch. The folks who now own and run the plant keep the blue horses around ever since.

I don't want to get that elaborate, but would be interested in hearing sugested rituals, from any and all traditions (expecially scandanavian, though, given the origins of wood gasifier boilers from those parts) to precede the lighting of a first fire, to bring good fortune and blessings...

Thanks

 

[sdrobertson]

I'd suggest a cold beverage and that log that fell on your foot and the other two pieces that somehow your fingers got smashed between. Good luck and enjoy the first firing!!

 

[NHFarmer]

Scotland is not far from the Scandinavian countrys.How about a nice bottle of single malt scotch.Don't smash it on the boiler,but enjoy a glass or two.

 

[Tony H]

The "little blue horses" were probably Dala horses available in many sizes and colors. One of our local swedish eatries has a 3 foot tall one on display for the kids to take pictures on. Thay are a little pricey at 50.00+ for a 6" tall one.

Of couse since I am Irish a little sip of Jamesons might be along with a little Leprechaun on the boiler might been good but I didn't think of it .... ah might as well have that sip of wiskey anyhow.

Maybe a bit of polish vodka and a little horse might cover all the angles you could carve the horse yourself with some of that extra wood you got laying all over the yard.

 

[Nofossil]

I dunno. Maybe you should frame your last fuel oil bill and put it on the boiler room wall as a reminder of the bad old days.

 

[steam man]

I suggest burning any contract you previously had with an oil company.

For years when I worked out of Japanese shipyards, they would have a Japanese "priest" come down and perform a ritual upon sailing. The ships would carry a "scroll/plaque" of the event.

Mike

 

[jebatty]

I suggest requesting your significant other, and if none then find one, to join you and turn the heat way up. The warm glow from that fire will last for years.

 

[Adios Pantalones]

I suggest burning any contract you previously had with an oil company.
Mike

That is good!
The last company that I worked for made explosives/narcotics detectors like you see at airports. When they installed them in India, they had incense sticks burning. Not the best thing for them, but far better than what they wanted to do- pour milk over it.

 

[ISeeDeadBTUs]

I suggest requesting your significant other, and if none then find one, to join you and turn the heat way up. The warm glow from that fire will last for years.

If she's fertile, it will last nearly 20 years!!

 

[la boucheron]

I suggest burning any contract you previously had with an oil company.

For years when I worked out of Japanese shipyards, they would have a Japanese "priest" come down and perform a ritual upon sailing. The ships would carry a "scroll/plaque" of the event.

Mike

I started my first fire with exactly that, my $400 + per month budget statement. I have yet to find our who's budget that was supposed to be! Good luck

 

[JMann]

Single Malt - "The Balvenie" 12 yr. After a hot shower using your boiler heated DHW of course...

That's what I did anyway.