Scots Hallowe'en Traditions
October 2006
Hallowe'en in Scotland is not quite the affair it is here in North America. The tradition of children in costume going from door to door and accumulating candy by calling out "Hallowe'en Apples!", singing a song or simply by ringing a doorbell and thrusting forth some form of bag, basket, pillowcase or other suitable item capable of holding several pounds of tooth rotting treats has not taken hold there to nearly the same extent it has here. However, Scotland is certainly not devoid of Hallowe'en traditions. Here are some old ones from centuries past. Who knows, maybe some are still practiced today.
The first ceremony of Hallowe'en is for a man and woman going out together to pull a stock of kail (greens). They must go out, hand in hand, with eyes closed, and pull the first kail they meet with. The properties of the kail thus pulled, be it big or small; straight or crooked, is prophetic of the size and shape of of the grand object of all their Spells - the husband and wife.
Burning the nuts is a favourite charm. A courting lad and lass are named to each particular nut as they are laid in the fire; and according to whether they burn quietly together, or snap, pop or otherwise start from beside one another as they heat, the course and issue of the Courtship will be.
You yourself should also go out secretly and sow a handful of hemp seed. ( I think that these days that had indeed be an extreme secret ). Look over your left shoulder and you will see the appearance of he or she who will be your true love in the attitude of pulling hemp. ( If you see someone else, especially a uniformed someone else, the modern version of this tradition I believe would be to leg it as quickly as possible ).
Taken from "The Scottish Bedside Book" published by Johnston and Bacon Ltd. of Edinburgh and London, 1957.
Hallowe'en in Scotland is not quite the affair it is here in North America. The tradition of children in costume going from door to door and accumulating candy by calling out "Hallowe'en Apples!", singing a song or simply by ringing a doorbell and thrusting forth some form of bag, basket, pillowcase or other suitable item capable of holding several pounds of tooth rotting treats has not taken hold there to nearly the same extent it has here. However, Scotland is certainly not devoid of Hallowe'en traditions. Here are some old ones from centuries past. Who knows, maybe some are still practiced today.
The first ceremony of Hallowe'en is for a man and woman going out together to pull a stock of kail (greens). They must go out, hand in hand, with eyes closed, and pull the first kail they meet with. The properties of the kail thus pulled, be it big or small; straight or crooked, is prophetic of the size and shape of of the grand object of all their Spells - the husband and wife.
Burning the nuts is a favourite charm. A courting lad and lass are named to each particular nut as they are laid in the fire; and according to whether they burn quietly together, or snap, pop or otherwise start from beside one another as they heat, the course and issue of the Courtship will be.
You yourself should also go out secretly and sow a handful of hemp seed. ( I think that these days that had indeed be an extreme secret ). Look over your left shoulder and you will see the appearance of he or she who will be your true love in the attitude of pulling hemp. ( If you see someone else, especially a uniformed someone else, the modern version of this tradition I believe would be to leg it as quickly as possible ).
Taken from "The Scottish Bedside Book" published by Johnston and Bacon Ltd. of Edinburgh and London, 1957.
posted by alex malcolm at 4:17 pm
1 Comments:
Hilarious and informative. Thanks.
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