Klarinet Archive - Posting 000829.txt from 2000/12

From: Roger Shilcock <roger.shilcock@-----.uk>
Subj: Re: [kl] Scotland [Was Re: [kl] Reeds]
Date: Fri, 15 Dec 2000 03:21:55 -0500

I was under the impression that all true Scots went out with guns on
25 January to shoot fresh haggises for consumption at Burns Night suppers.
Roger S.

In message <004f01c0662f$bd3a8940$2a32883e@-----.org writes:
> ----- Original Message -----
> From: William Wright <Bilwright@-----.net>
> To: <klarinet@-----.org>
> Sent: Thursday, December 14, 2000 9:28 PM
> Subject: Re: [kl] Reeds
>
>
> > Hogmanay... for those who (like me) are curious, the Scottish
> > equivalent of New Year's Eve, which involves door-to-door gift giving of
> > some sort. My dictionary doesn't explain "ne'erday". I'm
> > speculating that this is a contraction of New Year's Day, which is not
> > capitalized for some reason?
>
> Bill,
>
> You are right. Hogmanay is New Year's Eve to any Scot. In actual fact, Scots would argue that the
> only true New Year' Eve is a Scottish one. "First Footing" is the practice of going visiting after
> midnight, in order to be the first over the threshold in the New Year. The traditional gift is a
> lump of coal, the preferred (and sadly infrequent) gift is a bottle of Malt Whisky, and others
> include Black Bun and Shortie. Black Bun, I understand, is a bun that is black (made with fruit -
> currants raisins etc.) and often covered in pastry also referred to as a "fly cemetary" because the
> fruit looks like dead flies Also known as Currant Bun. Shortie is scots for shortbread, a sweet
> biscuit-like sugar-coated food sold in various sizes of tartan coloured tins to American and
> Japanese tourists for over-inflated prices on the Royal Mile in Edinburgh, Stirling Castle, Loch
> Ness etc. Actually it is sold to any tourist at the over-inflated prices. Still, the tins are
> pretty.
>
> You are also right in that Ne'erday is a Scots contraction of New Year's Day. (You're also right
> about the capitalisation - how remiss of me last time). It is also the term used (at least in some
> areas of Scotland) for hospitality (food/drink) extended to First Foots (not sure whether that
> should be Feet or not. Foots seems more correct to me in this context, but I may be wrong) and
> indeed any visitor to a Scottish home on 1st January. I remember being given "my Ne'erday" by a
> friend's mother when I went round to visit. As a child, though, I missed out on the dram. Anyone
> would think that the Scots' lives revolved round Whisky!
>
> Any more questions on Scottish culture, just ask and I'll try to explain. But I'll not tell you
> what's in a haggis!
>
> Ian
>
>
>
>
>
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--
Real men DO eat quiche - with raw HTML

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