Hogmanay Wedding

[RJ_Paton]

The early calvinists were pretty strict when it came to the various "Lord's Days" which included Christmas Day and of course the sabbath day of the week and feasting etc were banned at christmas.

[Clare Fowler]

Hi there,

My family are not particularly religious, but my mother remembers that she was not allowed to go out and play on a Sunday at all.  Both her and her brother had to sit inside and read quietly, regardless of whether they had been to church or Sunday school, or whatever.  And this is only going back to the 50s/60s.  The Church of Scotland could be a bit austere at times, even in the 20th century, although less so than some of the breakaway churches.

Clare

[bairnj]

I have come across this practice in nearly every branch of my tree.  Being married on Hogmany was also a practice of seeing out the old year (as being two single people) and bringing in the new year (as one couple).  This in turn it was allowing the 'bells' to signify the start of their married life together.