Folklore of Scotland

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26 to 32 of 32 entries in December

31 December

Folklore from the old calendars

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.

31 December

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