HOW IT STARTED

Prior to the Reformation of 1560, Christmas in Scotland

was called Yule, and also Yhoill or Yuil.
It was celebrated in much the same way as it was across
Catholic Europe, with games, gifts and feasts.
Following the Reformation, however, these traditional
celebrations became frowned upon. As the church and
state were then closely linked, Christian Christmas
holidays and feast days were soon abolished altogether, in
bans that were strictly enforced by law.
Even up until the 20th century excessive feasting and
celebrating at Christmas time was kept to a minimum, as
the Church of Scotland a Presbyterian church never
placed much emphasis on the festival.

CHRISTMAS DECORATIONS
Christmas decorations used to be put up on Christmas Eve
and not before.
Indeed, many people believed that it was extremely unlucky
to bring evergreens,
the traditional item to decorate homes, into the house
before that date.

In Britain today, a few people would now wait until

Christmas Eve.
Most people put up their decorations about a fortnight to a
week before Christmas Day.
In the weeks leading up to and during Christmas, people
hang decorations in their homes.
These decorations are made of coloured paper or foil.
People also hang greenery around the house, such as holly
and ivy.
The needlelike points of holly leaves are thought to
resemble the crown of thorns
that Jesus wore when He was crucified. The red berries
symbolise the drops of
blood Jesus shed.
Many Christian homes will have a nativity scene. The baby
Jesus is added on Christmas Eve.

CHRISTMAS EVE

Christmas Eve (December 24) is traditionally the day for

decorating churches and homes. It marks the beginning of
the period formally known as Christmas-tide.
One of the Scottish Christmas traditions that was banned
for so many years included the baking of Yule bread. On
Christmas Eve, a single person cracked an egg into a cup.
The shape of the egg white determined the profession of the
possible mate. The egg was mixed into a cake, and if the
cake cracked during baking, the person would have bad
luck in the next year. Sweeping fireplace ashes and reading
them as a fortune teller would read tea leaves was also
common.
From 1870, children have hung up Christmas stockings at
the ends of their beds or along the mantelpiece above the
fireplace.
Night time on Christmas Eve is a very exciting time for
young children. It is the time when Father Christmas
(Santa) comes.

CHRISTMAS DINNER
Its the main Christmas meal and its traditionally eaten at
mid-day or early afternoon on Christmas Day

A traditional Christmas dinner includes : roast turkey or

goose, Brussels sprouts, roast potatoes, cranberry sauce,
rich berry sutuffing , tiny sausages wrapped in bacon.

DID YOU KNOW THAT ?

Nollaig Chridheil (pronounced nollik hree-el) - that's Merry
Christmas in Scottish Gaelic.
The Scots word "Yule" comes from the Old Norse "jl, which
was a midwinter pagan
celebration of the winter soltice. Traditionally, Yule refers
not just to Christmas Day
but the twelve days of the earlier festival.
Mass was banned in Scotland at that time and "Christmas"
or "Christ's Mass" was included in that.
There are records of charges being brought against people
for keeping "Yule" as it was called in Scotland.
Amazingly, this dour, joy-crushing attitude lasted for 400
years. Until the 1960s,
Christmas Day was a normal working day for most people
in Scotland.

So if there is a specifically "Scottish" aspect to Christmas, it

is that it was not celebrated.

CHRISTMAS DAY
Christmas Day is the favourite day for children. They wake
up very early in the morning to find their stockings have
been filled by Father Christmas and excitedly unwrap the
presents before going down to breakfast.
Family presents are opened either late morning or during
the afternoon. The family gather together to open the
presents found under the Christmas tree.
The tradition of giving gifts is thought to be related to the
gifts that the wise men (the Magi) brought to Jesus.

BOXING DAY
Boxing Day is usually celebrated on the following day after
Christmas Day, which is 26 December. However, strictly
speaking, Boxing Day is the first weekday after Christmas
(see definition in the Oxford English Dictionary).
Like Christmas Day, Boxing Day is a public holiday. This
means it is typically a non working day in the whole of

Britain. When Boxing Day falls on a Saturday or Sunday

the following Monday is the public holiday.
Traditionally, 26 December was the day to open the
Christmas Box to share the contents with the poor.
Traditionally Boxing Day was a day for fox hunting. Horse
riders dressed in red and white riding gear, accompanied by
a number of dogs called foxhounds, chased the fox through
the countryside in the hope of tiring it out.
Eventually the hunters hope the fox will be so tired that the
dogs will be able to catch it and kill it.

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The first visitor to a home on Christmas Day was called the
First Footer. The person must bear gifts of peat, money, and
bread to symbolize warmth, wealth, and lack of want. This
later became a New Year's Day tradition, however. Placing
candles in the window to welcome a stranger is a longupheld Scottish Christmas tradition. By honoring the visit
of a stranger in the night, you honor the Holy Family, who
searched for shelter the night of Christ's birth.

Many Christians will go to church to sing carols and to

celebrate the birth of Jesus on Christmas Day. More people
attend the church on this day than any other day of the
year. People put on their best clothes to go to church.
A traditional feature of Christmas afternoon is the Queen's
Christmas Message. At three o'clock in the afternoon, the
Queen gives her Christmas Message to the nation which is
broadcast on radio and television.