Folklore of Scotland

28 December, not tied to the day

31 December

Folklore from the old calendars

Hogmanay Still kept ScotlandWhile the English went back to work after Christmas, the Scots kept the Daft Days around the New Year, and the last day of the year was Hogmanay.
Letting in the New Year Still kept Northern England, ScotlandOne of the most general customs of the last night of the year was to sit up until twelve o'clock, and then, when the hour had struck, go to the house door and unbar it with great formality, to let the old year out and the new year in.
New Year’s Eve at Deerness No longer kept OrkneyIn the parish of Deerness in Orkney, early in the nineteenth century, old and young gathered in a great band on the last evening of the year and went round every house in the district.
Queen Mary’s men on New Year’s Eve in Orkney No longer kept OrkneyOn New Year's Eve in Orkney large bands of the common people used to go round the houses singing a song that began by calling themselves Queen Mary's men.
The fire kept in on New Year’s Eve Lore and belief Berwickshire, Dumfriesshire, Roxburghshire, SelkirkshireOn the Borders it was thought very unlucky to let the house fire go out on New Year's Eve, as on Hallowe'en, Midsummer Eve and Christmas Eve.
The guisers and Bessie No longer kept ScotlandIn Lowland Scotland the guisers went out at the New Year, faces hidden behind a sheet of paper with holes for the eyes, nose and mouth.
The man in the cow’s hide at the laird’s hall No longer kept Inner Hebrides, Outer HebridesOn New Year's Eve in the Hebrides one man put on a cow's hide and ran round the laird's house while the others beat the hide with sticks.
Twelve days’ weather from the last of December Lore and belief Highlands, PerthshireThe Highlanders read the coming year's weather from twelve days starting on the last day of December.

1 January

Folklore from the old calendars

Dancing at the stone of North Ronaldsay No longer kept OrkneyThe Statistical Account of Scotland described a great upright stone, some nine or ten feet high and four feet broad, standing in a plain on the Orkney island of North Ronaldsay.
First-footing in Edinburgh Still kept Midlothian, ScotlandIn Scotland the new year was let in at midnight with a hot pint of spiced ale and spirits, carried from house to house in a kettle.
Juniper before the cattle at New Year near Dingwall No longer kept Highlands, Ross and CromartyOn New Year's Day the Highlanders round Dingwall burnt juniper before their cattle.
Juniper Smoke and the Dead and Living Ford No longer kept HighlandsHone gives an account from Stewart's Popular Superstitions of the Highlands of how the Strathdown Highlander let in the new year.
Oidhche Choille, the night of the trees Lore and belief BanffshireOn the first night of January the people of Kirkmichael watched the wind with anxious attention, reading from it the weather for the whole year to come.
The Falkirk Guisards No longer kept StirlingshireIn the Daft Days around the new year, bands of guisards went from house to house in Falkirk acting a short play in which Galgacus, the Caledonian chief, fights and kills Jack, a doctor haggles over his fee and raises him, and Judas comes round with the bag for money.
The royal well at New-year-field Lore and belief West LothianNear the house of Livingston stood the farm of New-year-field, where tradition held the Scottish kings had a hunting seat while they stayed at Linlithgow.

Folklore of Scotland

28 December, not tied to the day

31 December

1 January

the first Monday on or after 2 January

the first Monday on or after 1 January

6 January

9 January, not tied to the day

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