Christmas in Scotland

Overview of the role and celebration of Christmas in Scotland

"Daft Days" redirects here. For the author of the poem by that title, see Robert Fergusson.

Christmas funfair at George Square, Glasgow

Prior to the Reformation of 1560, Christmas in Scotland, then called "Yule" (alternative spellings include Yhoill, Yuil, Ȝule and Ȝoull; see Yogh) or in Gaelic-speaking areas "Nollaig", was celebrated in a similar fashion to the rest of Catholic Europe. Calderwood recorded that in 1545, a few months before his murder, Cardinal Beaton had "passed over the Christmasse dayes with games and feasting".[citation needed] However, the Reformation transformed attitudes to traditional Christian feasting days, including Christmas, and led in practice to the abolition of festival days and other church holidays,[1][2] the Kirk and the state being closely linked in Scotland during the Late Middle Ages and the Early Modern period. A 1640 act of the Parliament of Scotland abolished the "Yule vacation and all observation thereof in time coming".

## Post-Reformation suppression of Yule Tide celebrations

[edit]

United Kingdom legislation

Yule Vacance Act 1640

Act of Parliament

Parliament of Scotland

Long title| Act dischairging the Yule vacance, appointing the session to sit doun the first of November and ryse the last of Februar, and to sit doune the first of June and ryise the last of Julii.
Citation| June 1640 c. 7
Dates
Royal assent| 5 June 1640
Other legislation
Repealed by| Rescissory Act 1661

Status: Rescinded

United Kingdom legislation

Yule Vacance Act 1690

Act of Parliament

Parliament of Scotland

Long title| Act discharging the Yule Vacance.
Citation| April 1690 c. 52
Dates
Royal assent| 19 July 1690
Other legislation
Repealed by| Yule Vacance Act 1711

Status: Repealed

Two acts of the Estates of Parliament — the Yule Vacance Act 1640 (Act discharging the Yule vacance) (5 June 1640)[3] and the Yule Vacance Act 1690 (April c. 52) Act dischargeing the Yule vacance (15 April 1690)[4]— abolished the Yule Vacance (Christmas recess).

United Kingdom legislation

Yule Vacance Act 1686

Act of Parliament

Parliament of Scotland

Long title| Act for the Christmas Vacance.
Citation| 1686 c. 7
Dates
Royal assent| 24 May 1686
Other legislation
Repealed by| Statute Law Repeal (No. 3) Act 1690

Status: Repealed

The first act was partly repealed by the Yule Vacance Act 1686 (c. 7),[5] when Episcopalianism was briefly in ascendancy within the Kirk.

United Kingdom legislation

Yule Vacance Act 1711

Act of Parliament

Parliament of Great Britain

Long title| An Act for repealing Part of an Act passed in the Parliament of Scotland, intituled, "Act for discharging the Yule Vacance."
Citation| 10 Ann. c. 22
Dates
Royal assent| 22 May 1712
Other legislation
Repeals/revokes| Yule Vacance Act 1690
Repealed by| Yule Vacance Act 1714

Status: Repealed

The second act was partly repealed in 1712 by the Yule Vacance Act 1711 (10 Ann. c. 22) of the Parliament of Great Britain.[6]

Christmas became a Bank Holiday in Scotland in 1871.

The 1640 act stated (in Middle Scots):[3]

> "... the kirke within this kingdome is now purged of all superstitious observatione of dayes... thairfor the saidis estatis have dischairged and simply dischairges the foirsaid Yule vacance and all observation thairof in tymecomeing, and rescindis and annullis all acts, statutis and warrandis and ordinances whatsoevir granted at any tyme heirtofoir for keiping of the said Yule vacance, with all custome of observatione thairof, and findis and declaires the samene to be extinct, voyd and of no force nor effect in tymecomeing."

> English translation:[7]
> "... the kirk within this kingdom is now purged of all superstitious observation of days... therefore the said estates have discharged and simply discharge the foresaid Yule vacation and all observation thereof in time coming, and rescind and annul all acts, statutes and warrants and ordinances whatsoever granted at any time heretofore for keeping of the said Yule vacation, with all custom of observation thereof, and find and declare the same to be extinct, void and of no force nor effect in time coming."

Robert Jamieson recorded the opinion of an English clergyman regarding the post-reformation suppression of Christmas:[8]

> "The ministers of Scotland, in contempt of the holy-day observed by England, cause their wives and servants to spin in open sight of the people upon Yule day, and their affectionate auditors constrain their servants to yoke their plough on Yule day, in contempt of Christ's nativity. Which our Lord has not left unpunished, for their oxen ran wud, and brak their necks and lamed some ploughmen, which is notoriously known in some parts of Scotland."

## Daft Days

[edit]

The period of festivities running from Christmas to Handsel Monday, including Hogmanay and Ne'erday, is known as the Daft Days.[9][10][11]

## Post-war period

[edit]

Clootie dumpling

Christmas in Scotland was traditionally observed very quietly because the Church of Scotland, a Presbyterian church, for various reasons[clarification needed] suppressed Christmas celebrations in Scotland after the Reformation.

Christmas Day was made a public holiday in 1958[12] in Scotland, Boxing Day only in 1974.[13] The New Year's Eve festivity, Hogmanay, was by far the largest celebration in Scotland. The giftgiving, public holidays and feasting associated with mid-winter were traditionally held between 11 December and 6 January. However, since the 1980s, the fading of the Church's influence and the increased influences from the rest of the United Kingdom and elsewhere, Christmas and its related festivities are now nearly on par with, or surpass, Hogmanay and Ne'erday. Edinburgh, Glasgow and other cities now have traditional German Christmas market from late November until Christmas Eve.[14][15]

## See also

[edit]

* Auld Lang Syne
* Five Articles of Perth
* Little Christmas
* Taladh Chriosda
* Up Helly Aa

## References

[edit]

1. ^ Ross, Anthony (Autumn 1959). "Reformation and Repression". The Innes Review. 10 (2). Edinburgh: Edinburgh University Press: 338–381. doi:10.3366/inr.1959.10.2.338. ISSN 0020-157X. Retrieved 1 December 2011.
2. ^ Christmas in Scotland: Christmas Around the World. World Book. 2001. pp. 23. ISBN 978-0-7166-0860-8.
3. ^ a b "Act discharging the Yule vacance". The Records of the Parliaments of Scotland to 1707. University of St Andrews and National Archives of Scotland. Archived from the original on 19 May 2012. Retrieved 2 December 2011.
4. ^ "Act discharging the Yule vacance". The Records of the Parliaments of Scotland to 1707. University of St Andrews and National Archives of Scotland. Archived from the original on 7 April 2014. Retrieved 2 December 2011.
5. ^ "Act for the Christmas vacation". The Records of the Parliaments of Scotland to 1707. St Andrews: University of St Andrews and National Archives of Scotland. Retrieved 4 December 2011.
6. ^ Cobbett, William (1810). Cobbett's parliamentary history of England: from the Norman conquest, in 1066 to the year 1803. Bagshaw.
7. ^ "Act discharging the Yule vacation". The Records of the Parliaments of Scotland to 1707. St Andrews: University of St Andrews and National Archives of Scotland. Archived from the original on 14 December 2013. Retrieved 4 December 2011.
8. ^ Napier, James (1879). Folklore, or, Superstitious beliefs in the west of Scotland within this century: with an appendix, shewing the probable relation of the modern festivals of Christmas, May Day, St. John's Day, and Halloween, to ancient sun and fire worship. Paisley: Alex. Gardner. p. 190\. Archived from the original on 16 July 2012. Retrieved 2 December 2011.
9. ^ "Scotslanguage.com - Fergusson's Daft Days". www.scotslanguage.com.
10. ^ "Dictionary of the Scots Language:: SND :: feast".
11. ^ "Dictionary of the Scots Language:: SND :: daft".
12. ^ "Scottish Christmas traditions".
13. ^ "Archived copy". Archived from the original on 3 February 2009. Retrieved 3 February 2009.`{{cite web}}`: CS1 maint: archived copy as title (link)
14. ^ "Traditional German Christmas Market"[usurped] Edinburgh's Christmas. Retrieved during the pre-festive season 2011.
15. ^ "Christmas Markets in Scotland". Travelness. Retrieved 27 November 2023.

* v
* t
* e

Christmas

* Blue Christmas
* Boxing Day
* Children's Day
* Christmas Eve
* Saint Nicholas Day
* Saint Stephen's Day
* Sol Invictus
* Yule

Christianity|

* Jesus
* Christ Child
* Mary
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* Adoration of the Magi
* Adoration of the Shepherds
* Advent
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* Bethlehem
* Christmastide
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* Herod the Great
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* flight into Egypt
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* in art
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* Twelfth Night

In folklore|

* Badalisc
* Caganer
* Christkind
* Grýla
* Jack Frost
* Korvatunturi
* Kallikantzaros
* Legend of the Christmas Spider
* Mari Lwyd
* Miner's figure
* Nisse
* North Pole
* Old Man Winter
* Perchta
* Santa's workshop
* Tió de Nadal
* Turoń
* Vertep
* Wenceslaus
* Yule cat

Gift-bringers|

* Saint Nicholas
* folklore
* Santa Claus
* Befana
* Ded Moroz
* Father Christmas
* Grandpa Indian
* Joulupukki
* Julemanden
* Noel Baba
* Olentzero
* Père Noël
* Sinterklaas
* Others

Companions of
Saint Nicholas|

* Belsnickel
* Elves
* Knecht Ruprecht
* Krampus
* Mrs. Claus
* Père Fouettard
* Sack Man
* Santa Claus' daughter
* Santa's reindeer
* Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer
* Snegurochka
* Zwarte Piet

Traditions|

* Advent calendar
* Advent candle
* Advent wreath
* Boar's Head Feast
* Candle arches
* Chalking the door
* Cards
* Carols by Candlelight
* Cavalcade of Magi
* Christingle
* Christmas jumper
* Christmas Peace
* Crackers
* Decorations
* Didukh
* Feast of the Seven Fishes
* Flying Santa
* Gifts
* Google Santa Tracker
* Hampers
* Las Posadas
* Letters
* Lights
* Lord of Misrule
* Markets
* Midnight Mass
* Moravian star
* Mummers' play
* Nine Lessons and Carols
* NORAD Tracks Santa
* Nutcrackers
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* list
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* Poinsettia
* Pyramids
* Räuchermann
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* Wassailing
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* Yule goat
* Yule log

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* In literature
* A Christmas Carol
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* A Visit from St. Nicholas
* "Christmas Day in the Workhouse"
* "Journey of the Magi"
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* Yule Log
* Apollo 8 Genesis reading

modern
society|

* Advent Conspiracy
* Black Friday (partying)
* Black Friday (shopping)
* Bronner's Christmas Wonderland
* Christmas and holiday season
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* Christmas Day (Trading) Act 2004
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* White Christmas
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Food and
drink|

| Dinner|

* Joulupöytä
* Julbord
* Julebord
* Kūčios
* Réveillon
* Thirteen desserts
* Twelve-dish supper
* Wigilia

|

Sweets|

* Baked Alaska
* Candy cane
* Cake
* Cookie
* Cozonac
* Fruitcake
* Gingerbread
* Kutia
* Makówki
* Melomakarono
* Mince pie
* Pampushka
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* Poppy seed roll
* Pudding
* Pumpkin pie
* Qurabiya
* Red velvet cake
* Sugar plum
* Stollen
* Szaloncukor
* Turrón
* Yule log

Soup|

* Menudo
* Borscht

Sauces|

* Bread sauce
* Cranberry sauce
* Redcurrant sauce

Beverages|

* Apple cider
* Champurrado
* Eggnog
* Hot chocolate
* Kissel
* Mulled wine
* Smoking bishop
* Ponche crema
* Snowball

Dumplings|

* Hallaca
* Pierogi
* Tamale

Meat and fish|

* Carp
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* Ham
* Pickled herring
* Roast goose
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