Highland Yule Traditions

[HootinHoller]

Do you observe any?

I'll claim ignorance on which traditions might be from the Highlands, perhaps the yule log?

[davidlpope]

I think you'll find that Christmas was not celebrated in much of Scotland until relatively recently, due to Presbyterian adherence to the Regulative Principle of Worship. You might have better luck inquiring about Hogmanay.

[Peter Crowe]

I think you'll find that Christmas was not celebrated in much of Scotland until relatively recently, due to Presbyterian adherence to the Regulative Principle of Worship. You might have better luck inquiring about Hogmanay.

You are quite right David, Christmas only became a public holiday in Scotland in 1957 (which it hadn't been at least since the Scottish Reformation in 1560 or shortly thereafter). When my grandmother was a child in Macduff in the 1910's and 20's Santa Claus left gifts at the New Year.

[jfraser]

You are quite right David, Christmas only became a public holiday in Scotland in 1957 (which it hadn't been at least since the Scottish Reformation in 1560 or shortly thereafter). When my grandmother was a child in Macduff in the 1910's and 20's Santa Claus left gifts at the New Year.

Certainly not wishing to dispute the fact about 1957 but, I was working in the North East of Scotland in 1961 in a relatively large firm and Christmas was certainly worked by everybody in the firm except for one worker, an English man and it appears that he always took Christmas off. At that time in this area Hogmanay and New Year's Day was the day of celebration. In my family Christmas was not Celebrated until some time in the 1960's and started off as a watered down version of Hogmanay. Of course, Scotland being quite diverse I accept in other areas and within individual families Christmas could have been celebrated much earlier than this.

[Peter Crowe]

Certainly not wishing to dispute the fact about 1957 but, I was working in the North East of Scotland in 1961 in a relatively large firm and Christmas was certainly worked by everybody in the firm except for one worker, an English man and it appears that he always took Christmas off. At that time in this area Hogmanay and New Year's Day was the day of celebration. In my family Christmas was not Celebrated until some time in the 1960's and started off as a watered down version of Hogmanay. Of course, Scotland being quite diverse I accept in other areas and within individual families Christmas could have been celebrated much earlier than this.

I did some further research (Google is your friend) and I was out by a year. Christmas only became a public holiday in Scotland in 1958. What you state rings true of what my father's side of the family (who remained in Macduff, Banff and Gardenstown) did in the early 60's. However, at that same time having a family Christmas party (holiday) was an established practice for most people in west-central Scotland (Lanarkshire and Glasgow City) from speaking with my late mother's side of the family. When i was a child (late 60's and early 70's) I only ever remember it as a work day for my father (when he was away at sea as a merchant navy officer), and my great-uncle who was an Inspector in the Glasgow police.

[AFS1970]

I have never heard of New Christmas and Old Christmas, but in my later childhood, my mother always celebrated Twelfth Night, with a small and less involved celebration than we had on Christmas. Usually just some special food and eggnog. I know that in Hispanic communities the same night is generally called Three Kings Day and in some countries that is when gifts are exchanged, due to the fact that it took 12 days for the three kings to come after being told of the birth of Jesus, so their gifts were given then not at the beginning as our modern custom seems to have developed.

To further confuse things, my wife was born on December 6, which is Saint Nicholas Day, which is some places is when gifts are brought by Saint Nicholas, not on Christmas which is a much more reverent holiday in the countries where this happens. I find it interesting that so many cultures all celebrate the same holiday, and all exchange gifts, yet do so on different days because of different parts of the same tradition. Sometimes the cynical part of me, says that trying to push all three days into each other is just a way to minimize holiday interruptions to the outside world.

[jfraser]

I did some further research (Google is your friend) and I was out by a year. Christmas only became a public holiday in Scotland in 1958. What you state rings true of what my father's side of the family (who remained in Macduff, Banff and Gardenstown) did in the early 60's. However, at that same time having a family Christmas party (holiday) was an established practice for most people in west-central Scotland (Lanarkshire and Glasgow City) from speaking with my late mother's side of the family. When i was a child (late 60's and early 70's) I only ever remember it as a work day for my father (when he was away at sea as a merchant navy officer), and my great-uncle who was an Inspector in the Glasgow police.

I have just been talking to a friend from the North East of Scotland and he was saying that they were still working Christmas in the 1970's. He thought that in some of the farming areas it was later than that before they got Christmas off as a public holiday. But, as you stated in some other areas of Scotland Christmas was celebrated well before that. When we were growing up Hogmanay was always the time we got our "Christmas"
presents.

[HootinHoller]

I think you'll find that Christmas was not celebrated in much of Scotland until relatively recently, due to Presbyterian adherence to the Regulative Principle of Worship. You might have better luck inquiring about Hogmanay.

I thought I was avoiding Christmas specifically by saying Yule, which unless I have a serious misunderstanding was the name for the winter solstice celebrations? I guess I'll be googling Hogmany tonight.

[Father Bill]

Yule or Yuletide ("Yule time") is a pagan religious festival observed by the historical Germanic peoples, later being absorbed into and equated with the Christian festival of Christmas. The earliest references to Yule are by way of indigenous Germanic month names Ærra Jéola (Before Yule) or Jiuli and Æftera Jéola (After Yule). Scholars have connected the celebration to the Wild Hunt, the god Odin and the pagan Anglo-Saxon Modranicht.
Terms with an etymological equivalent to Yule are used in the Nordic countries for Christmas with its religious rites, but also for the holidays of this season. Yule is also used to a lesser extent in English-speaking countries to refer to Christmas. Customs such as the Yule log, Yule goat, Yule boar, Yule singing, and others stem from Yule. A number of Neopagans have introduced their own rites.

[Father Bill]

Yule or Yuletide ("Yule time") is a pagan religious festival observed by the historical Germanic peoples, later being absorbed into and equated with the Christian festival of Christmas. The earliest references to Yule are by way of indigenous Germanic month names Ærra Jéola (Before Yule) or Jiuli and Æftera Jéola (After Yule). Scholars have connected the celebration to the Wild Hunt, the god Odin and the pagan Anglo-Saxon Modranicht.

Terms with an etymological equivalent to Yule are used in the Nordic countries for Christmas with its religious rites, but also for the holidays of this season. Yule is also used to a lesser extent in English-speaking countries to refer to Christmas. Customs such as the Yule log, Yule goat, Yule boar, Yule singing, and others stem from Yule. A number of Neopagans have introduced their own rites.

So yes, you're right. Both ways.