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The Lighter Side / who was Skittery Winter today?
« on: Friday 31 December 04 10:52 GMT (UK) »
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!
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!