1. 2 5 t h De c emb e r - 1 s t J a n u a r y
Ch r i s tma s a n d New Y e a r
i n S c o t l a n d
2. • Christmas in Scotland was
traditionally observed very quietly.
• Christmas Day only became a public
holiday in 1958, and Boxing Day in
1974. Until the 1960s, Christmas
Day was a normal working day for
most people in Scotland. Christmas
and its related festivities are now
nearly on a par with Hogmanay and
"Ne'erday". The capital city of
Edinburgh now has a traditional
German Christmas market from late
November until Christmas Eve.
• Christmas decorations are
traditionally taken down on Twelfth
Night, the evening of January 5.
• It is common to send Christmas
cards in the weeks running up to
Christmas.
3. Ch r i s tma s Da y
• Presents are exchanged.
• Christmas Dinner is usually eaten at lunchtime
or early afternoon on Christmas Day. It's
normally roast turkey, roast vegetables and 'all
the trimmings’. (Traditionally, and before turkey
was available, roast beef or goose was the
main Christmas meal.
• Queen´s Speech at 3pm.
• Special desserts are also prepared, such as
Christmas pudding, mince pies, and fruit cake.
A typical Scottish desert is Clootie Dumpling.
4. B o x i n g Da y
• Boxing Day is a holiday traditionally the day following Christmas Day.
• In the UK it is now primarily known as a shopping holiday. It is a time where shops have sales, often with dramatic
price reductions.
• Many shops open very early on Boxing Day. It is not uncommon for people to start queuing in the early hours of the
morning.
• In the United Kingdom, it is traditional for the Premier League (England), Scottish Premiership (Scotland) and NIFL
Premiership (Northern Ireland), as well as the lower divisions and rugby leagues, to hold a full programme of
football and rugby league matches on Boxing Day. Traditionally, matches on Boxing Day are played against local
rivals. This was originally to avoid teams and their fans having to travel a long distance to an away game on the
day after Christmas Day. It also makes the day an important one in the sporting calendar.
5. Ot h e r f e s t i v e
f o o d s
Clootie dumpling
Mince pies
Shortbread
Tablet
6. New y e a r ’ s e v e
(Ho gma n a y )
Hogmanay is the Scots word for the last day of the year
(31st December), also called New Year's Eve. In
Scotland, Hogmanay is the start of a celebration which
lasts through the night until the morning of New Year's
Day (1st January) or, in some cases, 2nd January which
is a Scottish Bank Holiday. In the big cities, you'll find
large-scale open air concerts, street parties and
spectacular fireworks welcoming 'the bells' (when the
clocks chime midnight). Elsewhere, the celebrations are
all about community and local events such as dinner
dances, ceildhs or just parties held in neighbours'
houses.
Lang may yer lum reek! is a traditional Scottish
Hogmanay greeting. It means “May you never be without
fuel for your fire!", but more literally translates to "Long
may your chimney smoke!”.
7. T r a d i t i o n s
F i r s t - f o o t i n g
In Scotland, the tradition of first-footing starts
immediately after midnight on Hogmanay. The
first-foot is the first person to enter a friend or
neighbour’s house. They bring symbolic gifts
such as salt, coal, shortbread, whisky, and black
bun (a rich fruit cake) which represent financial
prosperity, food, flavour, warmth, and good cheer.
This may go on throughout the early hours of the
morning and well into the next day (although
modern days see people visiting houses well into
the middle of January). The first-foot is supposed
to set the luck for the rest of the year.
8. S a i n i n g
• Saining is a Scots word for blessing or protecting.
• An old Hogmanay custom in Highlands of Scotland, which still
happens today is to sain the house. Early on New Year's morning,
householders drink and then sprinkle 'magic water' from 'a dead and
living ford' around the house (a 'dead and living ford' refers to a river
ford that is routinely crossed by both the living and the dead). After the
sprinkling of the water in every room, on the beds and all the
inhabitants, the house is sealed up tight and branches of juniper are
set on fire and carried throughout the house. The juniper smoke is
allowed to thoroughly fumigate the buildings until it causes sneezing
and coughing among the inhabitants. Then all the doors and windows
are flung open to let in the cold, fresh air of the new year. The woman
of the house then administers 'a restorative' from the whisky bottle,
and the household sits down to its New Year breakfast.
9. E d i n b u r g h
Edinburgh's Hogmanay is one of the biggest
and best New Year celebrations in the world.
On Hogmanay itself, the action moves to
Princes Street in the very heart of the city
beneath the backdrop of Edinburgh Castle.
Around 80,000 people party their way into the
new year at the Concert in the Gardens
featuring live music and entertainment, DJ’s,
giant screens, outdoor bars and of course, the
world-famous Edinburgh Hogmanay Midnight
Fireworks Display.
10. T o r c h l i g h t
P r o c e s s i o n
• The Torchlight Procession
opens the annual Edinburgh's
Hogmanay celebrations with
around 8,000 torchbearers
creating a "river of fire" through
the city streets.
• A bunch of noisy, hairy vikings
from Shetland will lead a
procession of up to 35,000
people, including those
carrying flaming torches,
through the city centre and up
to the ancient Edinburgh
meeting ground of Calton Hill.
11. B u r n i n g t h e
Cl a v i e
• In Burghead, Moray in the north
east of Scotland the Burning of
the Clavie helps to bring good
luck to residents. A flaming barrel
filled with tar and staves is
carried around town on 11th
January (Gaelic New Year’s Day,
using the pre-Gregorian
calendar, is celebrated on the
12th), then placed in a ruined fort
before being allowed to burn out
and roll down a hill.
12. F i r e b a l l
Swi n g i n g
• One of the most spectacular fire
ceremonies takes place in Stonehaven,
south of Aberdeen on the north east
coast. Giant fireballs are swung around on
long metal poles.
• As the Old Town House bell sounds to
mark the New Year, the balls are set alight
and the swingers set off up the High
Street, swinging the burning balls around
their heads as they go. At the end of the
ceremony, any fireballs that are still
burning are thrown into the harbour. Many
people enjoy this display, and large
crowds flock to see it. In recent years,
additional attractions have been added to
entertain the crowds as they wait for
midnight, such as fire poi, a pipe band,
street drumming and a firework display
after the last fireball is thrown into the sea.
13. Auld Lang Syne
The custom of singing ´Auld Lang Syne´ at midnight on New Year´s Eve is now
common in many countries. It is a traditional Scottish poem written by Robert Burns,
which was later set to music.
Everyone joins hands with the person next to them to form a great circle around the
dance floor. At the beginning of the last verse, everyone crosses their arms across their
breast, so that the right hand reaches out to the neighbour on the left and vice versa.
When the tune ends, everyone rushes to the middle, while still holding hands. When
the circle is re-established, everyone turns under the arms to end up facing outwards
with hands still joined.
The custom of singing 'Auld Lang Syne' at midnight on New Year's Eve is now common in
many countries. 'Auld Lang Syne' is a traditional poem written by Robert Burns, which was later
set to music.
14. Should auld acquaintance be forgot,
and never brought to mind?
Should auld acquaintance be forgot,
and auld lang syne*?
CHORUS:
For auld lang syne, my jo,
for auld lang syne,
we’ll tak' a cup o’ kindness yet,
for auld lang syne.
And surely ye’ll be your pint-stoup!
and surely I’ll be mine!
And we’ll tak' a cup o’ kindness yet,
for auld lang syne.
We twa hae run about the braes,
and pou’d the gowans fine;
But we’ve wander’d mony a weary fit,
sin' auld lang syne.
We twa hae paidl’d in the burn,
frae morning sun till dine;
But seas between us braid hae roar’d
sin' auld lang syne.
And there’s a hand, my trusty fiere!
and gie's a hand o’ thine!
And we’ll tak' a right gude-willie waught,
for auld lang syne.
Should old acquaintance be forgot,
and never brought to mind?
Should old acquaintance be forgot,
and old lang syne?
CHORUS:
For auld lang syne, my dear,
for auld lang syne,
we'll take a cup of kindness yet,
for auld lang syne.
And surely you’ll buy your pint cup!
and surely I’ll buy mine!
And we'll take a cup o’ kindness yet,
for auld lang syne.
We two have run about the slopes,
and picked the daisies fine;
But we’ve wandered many a weary foot,
since auld lang syne.
We two have paddled in the stream,
from morning sun till dine†;
But seas between us broad have roared
since auld lang syne.
And there’s a hand my trusty friend!
And give me a hand o’ thine!
And we’ll take a right good-will draught,
for auld lang syne.
16. L o o n y Do o k i n g
A firm fixture in Scotland's calendar for more than 25 years, the Loony Dook
is part of this year's Edinburgh's Hogmanay celebrations.
It has grown in popularity in recent years, with all 1,100 places sold out this
year.
The dook has raised tens of thousands of pounds for charities across the UK,
including the South Queensferry lifeboat.
17. NEW Y EAR ´ S R E SOLUT IONS
Eat more healthily, lose weight, exercise more, drink less
alcohol, quit smoking.
Take a trip somewhere you have always wanted to go.
Give more to charity.
