n. a person ill-prepared for Christmas
Tag: Christmas
Jura man, Gillouir MacCrain saw 180 Christmasses in his own home.
Was he 180 years old when he died in 1645? Was he just *really* into Christmas?
Most likely, the Diùrachs were playing a trick with the traveler, Martin Martin when he visited in 1705. Gaels celebrated “Big Christmas” (An Nollaig Mhòr) and New Year, “Little Christmas” (An Nollaig Bheag). Gillour was probably 90 or so.
Gillouir’s niece Mary has a headstone near his and was thought to have died at age 128 in 1856. In reality she died in December 22nd 1855, and was *only* 118.
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CAISEAN-UCHD
CAISEAN-UCHD. n. Breast-strip of a sheep that was singed and sniffed to ward off evil spirits in a house. Passed around clockwise for the next person to inhale. Bad luck if it went out on your turn. Used at Xmas only in other places, but all the time on Islay. It must’ve smelled awful.
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Too cool for yule
From 1573 to 1712, celebrating Christmas was either illegal or illicit in Scotland. Many businesses didn’t close on 25th Dec until 1958 when it became a public holiday.
In 1650, Bessie Sands of Limekilns was tried for “superstitious absenting from work on Yule”
Between 1573-1712 the Church of Scotland made it illicit by an act at the General Assembly. Between 1640-1661 and 1690-1712, the ban was made a legal one by the Scottish Parliament.
Barclay, Jean (2018) The Kirk that Stole Christmas. Dunfermline Historical Society. https://dunfermlinehistsoc.org.uk/the-kirk-that-stole-christmas/