We all love Christmas and everyone agrees that there’s nothing quite like it, but did you know that once upon a time Christmas was banned in Scotland?
As we all get a touch of Christmas mania – shopping to do, presents to buy & and wrap, cleaning the house to within an inch of its life, the manic shopping mania goes on and on until the big day itself arrives!
Back in the 1700s, it was thought that celebrating Christmas was a bit more festive than it should be, and it wasn’t until 1958, or Yule as it was known, that it became a public holiday. Goodness knows what would become of us if we were caught singing a Christmas carol?
After Cromwell’s death, things began to relax, however, the ban was not lifted straight away and remained officially in place until 1686.
As most people in the UK are aware, Hogmanay is the name given for New Year’s Eve and is of more importance in Scotland than around the rest of the UK.
It’s no secret that Hogmanay has always been important in Scotland. After all, we even have our own name for New Year’s Eve and the ban goes a long way to explaining Scotland’s love affair with seeing in the new year. Slange Var! (Good health).
