The Time They Banned Christmas

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Parliament House, Edinburgh, Scotland (1707)

"... the kirke within this kingdome is now purged of all superstitious observatione of dayes... thairfor the saidis estatis have dischairged and simply dischairges the foirsaid Yule vacance and all observation thairof in tymecomeing, and rescindis and annullis all acts, statutis and warrandis and ordinances whatsoevir granted at any tyme heirtofoir for keiping of the said Yule vacance, with all custome of observatione thairof, and findis and declaires the samene to be extinct, voyd and of no force nor effect in tymecomeing." 

Act discharging the Yule vacance (2 June 1640)

The Scots traditionally have not celebrated Christmas.  Prior to 1560 Christmas was  a time for feasting.  The year 1560 is important as it is the start of the Protestant Reformation.  The Church of Scotland (Presbyterian) - or Covenanters - frowned on anything to do with Roman Catholicism and in 1640 the Scottish Parliament made the Yule vacations illegal.  One has to put this in perspective as 1640 was right at the start of the Wars of the Three Kingdoms. In England, part of this war is known as the English Civil War.  Even when Charles II was restored to the throne, Christmas celebrations were frowned upon.  It took until 1958 for 25 December to become a public holiday.  This is one of the reasons why New Year's or the Hogmanay is a more important celebration for the Scots.

This sort of puts Ebenezer Scrooge in a different light.  Recall the passage:

"You'll want all day to-morrow, I suppose?" said
Scrooge.

"If quite convenient, sir."

"It's not convenient," said Scrooge, "and it's not
fair. If I was to stop half-a-crown for it, you'd
think yourself ill-used, I'll be bound?"

The clerk smiled faintly.

"And yet," said Scrooge, "you don't think me ill-used,
when I pay a day's wages for no work."

The clerk observed that it was only once a year.

"A poor excuse for picking a man's pocket every
twenty-fifth of December!" said Scrooge, buttoning
his great-coat to the chin. "But I suppose you must
have the whole day. Be here all the earlier next
morning."

The clerk promised that he would; and Scrooge
walked out with a growl.

Was Scrooge being that nasty to his staff.  He still gave them the day off (Christmas Day) and paid them a day's wages.  He did not have to do that as in Victorian England, Christmas Day was a regular working day.  But, A Christmas Carol (by Charles Dickens) has other strange aspects.  Consider the first opening paragraphs in Stave I: Marley's Ghost - not only is this a Christmas story but also a ghost story, yet these first two opening paragraphs introduce the book - almost as a comedy:

MARLEY was dead: to begin with. There is no doubt
whatever about that. The register of his burial was
signed by the clergyman, the clerk, the undertaker,
and the chief mourner. Scrooge signed it: and
Scrooge's name was good upon 'Change, for anything he
chose to put his hand to. Old Marley was as dead as a
door-nail.

Mind! I don't mean to say that I know, of my
own knowledge, what there is particularly dead about
a door-nail. I might have been inclined, myself, to
regard a coffin-nail as the deadest piece of ironmongery
in the trade. But the wisdom of our ancestors
is in the simile; and my unhallowed hands
shall not disturb it, or the Country's done for. You
will therefore permit me to repeat, emphatically, that
Marley was as dead as a door-nail.

To quote William Shatner:  "...weird or what..."!  But on to the Christmas Trifle...

The National Trust for Scotland suggests that Christmas in Scotland is celebrated much as in other western countries.  People sing carols, decorate their households, have a Christmas tree and wreath (these are Victorian customs imported to the United Kingdom by Queen Victoria's German husband, Prince Albert), eat mince pies and have a hearty lunch.  As in much of the United Kingdom, Scots sit down and watch the King's annual address, watch the Coronation Street or Doctor Who Christmas special and then watch a festive film (like Star Wars or Harry Potter...).  The National Trust for Scotland recommends Perkins and Haggis sausage rolls.

Other unique Scottish traditions include

  • bringing in a burning twig from a rowan tree to clear away bad feelings between family members, friends and neighbours;
  • having the first footer come into a home bearing gifts of peat, coal, money or bread (also a New Year's tradition) (first footer is usually the darkest in complexion and hair);
  • placing candles in a window to welcome strangers (there is a connection to honouring the Holy Family searching for shelter);
  • having a traditional meal with cock-a-leekie soup, roast turkey, glazed ham or leg of lamb, black pudding, Yule bread, bannock and shortbread.

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