|
Pages: [1]
|
 |
|
Author
|
Topic: who was Skittery Winter today? (Read 172 times)
|
David Douglas
RootsChat Member
 Offline
Posts: 149
"It's comin' yet for a' that ... 24 MB at 1.3 Kb/s
|
Did anyone get called 'Skittery Winter' today? As it may be becoming a rarity, I'd better explain: in Scotland, the last person in the house to get up on the last day of the year (Hogmanay), gets made fun of, and called 'skittery winter'.
In offices and other workplaces, the last person to arrive in the morning would also be ridiculed, with workmates banging on desks, radiators, etc. and shouting 'skittery winter' at them.
It might be an almost dead tradition now - in the 1980s when my mother was working in a travel agency, the younger staff had never heard of it. I suppose with the introduction of more flexible working hours in many companies, the whole idea of ridiculing the last to arrive loses its meaning.
Anyway, it's usually me who's the last to get up (today's a holiday), but this morning the kids (who normally get up at 7 to watch cartoons) didn't get up till 10, and share the honour and title for the next year!
|
|
|
|
|
Logged
|
Researching: Towers family of Paisley; Argyll: Carmichael, McQueen; W. Lothian: Aitken, Smeal, Cunningham, Brash, Easton; Stirlingshire: Bruce, Henderson, Galloway; Midlothian: Gillis, Philp; Ayrshire: Robertson, McMurren, Bone, Eaglesham, Scoffield, Frew, McLatchie; Moray: Rennie, Stronach; N. Ireland: Douglas, Wray, Steen; Bermuda: Outerbridge, Seon
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Little Nell
Global Moderator
RootsChat Marquessate
Offline
Posts: 6034
|
Ah, yes, Bob, but do they bring something to eat, something to drink and something for heat? If we go first-footing we take some homemade shortbread, a dram or two and ideally a piece of coal, but that can be hard to come by in modern houses!
Slàinte!
Nell
|
|
|
|
|
Logged
|
|
|
|
David Douglas
RootsChat Member
Offline
Posts: 149
"It's comin' yet for a' that ... 24 MB at 1.3 Kb/s
|
They should definitely bring some drink, and insist their hosts drink it, while their hosts insists the guests drink the host's offerings . I could do without the lumps of coal, though!
But most importantly, they shouldn't come before midnight. My parents invited my father's cousin and his wife (both English, they stayed a few years in Scotland) round for Hogmanay. My parents were horrified when they appeared at 8 p.m. - they weren't supposed to come before midnight!
Firstfooting continues for a number of days into the New Year - the idea is to visit all your friends, neighbours and family. It used to be said that you stopped when your drink ran out, but since the price of alcohol, and especially spirits has fallen enormously compared to wages, it need never run out!
Happy New Year!!
|
|
|
|
|
Logged
|
Researching: Towers family of Paisley; Argyll: Carmichael, McQueen; W. Lothian: Aitken, Smeal, Cunningham, Brash, Easton; Stirlingshire: Bruce, Henderson, Galloway; Midlothian: Gillis, Philp; Ayrshire: Robertson, McMurren, Bone, Eaglesham, Scoffield, Frew, McLatchie; Moray: Rennie, Stronach; N. Ireland: Douglas, Wray, Steen; Bermuda: Outerbridge, Seon
|
|
|
|
|
David Douglas
RootsChat Member
Offline
Posts: 149
"It's comin' yet for a' that ... 24 MB at 1.3 Kb/s
|
I seem to remember hearing that it is supposed to go all the way back to Viking raids 1000 years ago, where fair haired strangers were pretty scary, while a dark haired stranger was probably a local.
|
|
|
|
|
Logged
|
Researching: Towers family of Paisley; Argyll: Carmichael, McQueen; W. Lothian: Aitken, Smeal, Cunningham, Brash, Easton; Stirlingshire: Bruce, Henderson, Galloway; Midlothian: Gillis, Philp; Ayrshire: Robertson, McMurren, Bone, Eaglesham, Scoffield, Frew, McLatchie; Moray: Rennie, Stronach; N. Ireland: Douglas, Wray, Steen; Bermuda: Outerbridge, Seon
|
|
|
Berlin-Bob
Global Moderator
RootsChat Marquessate
 Online
Posts: 5221
by My Daughter. Chatting to find her Roots !
|
I'd heard that, too, about a dark haired first-footer. We used to argue whether I, hirsutely challenged, still counted as dark-haired, and decided, as I had previously been dark-haired, I was "technically" OK !
|
|
|
|
|
Logged
|
Searching for Coleman, Moore, Kallnung in London; Margulies, Remenyi in E. Europe; Ancestors of Hessie Stevenson-Coleman-Baxter (Ireland, 1861) and, of course, any other ancestors for my web-site. All Census Data included in this post is Crown Copyright (see: www.nationalarchives.gov.uk) |
|
|
|
|
nora T
RootsChat Senior
Offline
Posts: 339
I've not edited my PROFILE yet
|
Am i for ever Skittery Winter, as i was born on 31 december, nora T.
|
|
|
|
|
Logged
|
i am researching the timmis family salop. staffs, and cheshire, also the culverwell family, congleton cheshire,and staffs.also jervis, jarvis, staffs and wales,also reece, staffs and dudley
|
|
|
|
Pages: [1]
|
|
|
|
|
Eve.gif