lander then takes a large brush, with which he profusely asperses the occupants of all beds: from whom it is not unusual for him to receive ungrateful remonstrances against ablution. This ended, and the doors and windows being thoroughly closed, and all crevices stopped, he kindles piles of the collected juniper in the different apartments, till the vapour from the burning branches condenses into opaque clouds, and coughing, sneezing, wheezing, gasping, and other demonstrations of suffocation ensue. The operator, aware that the more intense the "smuchdan" the more propitious the solemnity, disregards these indications, and continues, with streaming eyes and averted head, to increase the fumigation, until in his own defence he admits the air to recover the exhausted household and himself. He then treats the horses, cattle, and other bestial stock in the town with the same smothering, to keep them from harm throughout the year. When the gude wife gets up, and having ceased from coughing, has gained sufficient strength to reach the bottle dhu, she administers its comfort to the relief of the sufferers; laughter takes the place of complaint, all the family get up, wash their faces, and receive the visits of their neighbours, who arrive full of congratulations peculiar to the day. Mu nase choil orst, "My Candlemas bond upon you," is the customary salutation, and means, in plain words, "You owe me a New Year's gift." A point of great emulation is, who shall salute the other first, because the one who docs so is entitled to a gift from the person saluted. Breakfast, consisting of all procurable luxuries, is then served, the neighbours not engaged are invited to partake, and the day ends in festivity.-Popular Superstitions of the Highlanders of Scotland, Stewart, 1851. Pennant, in his Tour in Scotland (1790, vol. i. p. 206), says that on New Year's Day the Highlanders burn juniper before their cattle. FORFARSHIRE. At the commencement of the New Year the opulent burghers of Montrose begin to feast with their friends, and to go a round of visits, which takes up the space of many Also at Christmas. weeks. Upon such occasions, the gravest is expected to be merry, and to join in a cheerful song.-Stat. Acc. of Scotland, Sinclair, 1793, vol. v. p. 48. ORKNEY ISLES. At Lady, companies of men go to the houses of the rich, and awake the family by singing the New Year's song, in full chorus. When the song is concluded, the family entertain the musicians with ale and bread, and give them a smoked goose or a piece of beef.-Stat. Acc. of Scotland, 1815, vol. xv. p. 142. At the parishes of Cross, Burness, &c., New Year's gifts, under the title of "Christmas presents," are given to maidservants by their masters.-Stat. Account of Scotland, Sinclair, 1793, vol. vii. p. 488. HANDSEL MONDAY. SCOTLAND. THE first Monday of the year is a great holiday among the peasantry of Scotland and children generally, as being the day peculiarly devoted in that country to the giving and receiving of presents. It is on this account called Handsel Monday, handsel being in Scotland the equivalent of a Christmas-box, but more especially implying a gift at the commencement of a season or the induing of some new garment. The young people visit their seniors in expectation of tips (the word, but not the action, unknown in the north). Postmen, scavengers, and deliverers of newspapers look for their little annual guerdons. Among the rural population, Auld Handsel Monday, i.e. Handsel Monday old style, or the first Monday after the twelfth of the month, is the day usually held. The farmers used to treat the whole of their servants on that morning to a liberal breakfast of roast and boiled, with ale, whisky, and cake, to their utmost contentment, after which the guests went about seeing their friends for the remainder of the day. It was also the day on which any disposed for change gave up their places, and when new servants were engaged. Even now, when most old fashions are much decayed, Auld Handsel Monday continues to be the holiday of the year to the class of farm-labourers in Scotland.- Book of Days, vol. i. p. 52. Co. OF EDINBURGH. At Currie the annual fair and Old Handsel Monday are the only periodical holidays for the working classes; on which latter occasion the servants enjoy the pleasure of returning to the bosom of their families, and spending the close of the day with their friends. The early part is generally observed in the less innocent amusement of raffles, and shooting with fire-arms, which, being often old and rusty, as well as wielded by inexperienced hands, have occasioned some disagreeable accidents.-Stat. Acc. of Scotland 1845, vol. i. p. 550. JAN. 5.] EVE OF THE EPIPHANY. FORMERLY itinerant minstrels used to bear a bowl of spiced wine to the houses of the gentry and others, from whom they expected a hospitable reception, and calling their bowl a wassail-bowl, they drank wassail to their entertainers. In ancient kalendars is an observation on the 5th day of January, the Vigil of the Epiphany, "Kings created by beans," and the sixth day is called "Festival of Kings," with another remark, that "the ceremony of electing kings was continued with feasting for many days."—Med. Evi Kalend. vol. i. p. 134. DEVONSHIRE. At Kingsbridge and Salcombe it was formerly customary for the ciderist, attended by his workmen with a large can or pitcher of cider, guns charged with powder, &c., to repair to the orchard, and there at the foot of one of the best-bearing apple-trees, drink the following toast three times repeated, discharging the fire-arms in conclusion: "Here's to thee, old apple tree, And whence thou may'st blow! And whence thou may'st bear apples enow! Bushel-bushel-sacks full! And my pockets full too! Huzza!” The pitcher being emptied, they returned to the house, the doors of which they were certain to find bolted by the females; who, however bad the weather might be, were inexorable to all entreaties to open them, till some one had divined what was on the spit. This was generally not easily thought of, and if edible was the reward of him whe first named it. The party were then admitted.-Kingsbridge and Salcombe Historically Depicted, 1819, p. 71. Vide Gent. Mag. 1791, vol. lxi. p. 403. Brand, on the authority of a Cornishman, relates it also as a custom with the Devonshire people to go after supper into the orchard with a large milk-pan full of cider, having roasted apples pressed into it. Out of this each person in company takes what is called a clome -i.e. earthenware-cup, full of liquor, and standing under each of the more fruitful apple-trees, passing by those that are not good bearers, he addresses them in the following words: "Health to thee, good apple tree, Well to bear pocket-fulls, hat-fulls, and then drinking up part of the contents, he throws the rest, with the fragments of the roasted apples, at the tree. At each cup, the company set up a shout.-Pop. Antiq. 1849, vol. i. p. 29. Herrick thus alludes to this custom and the superstition attached to it: "Wassail the trees, that they may bear GLOUCESTERSHIRE. In the parish of Pauntley, and the surrounding neighbourhood, the servants of each farmer formerly assembled together in one of the fields that had been sown with wheat. At the end of twelve lands, they made twelve fires in a row with straw, around one of which, much larger than the rest, they drank a cheerful glass of cider to their master's health, and success to the future harvest; then, returning home, they feasted on cakes soaked in cider, which they claimed as a reward for their past labours in sowing the grain.--Fosbrooke, Hist. of Gloucestershire, 1807, vol. ii. p. 232. * HEREFORDSHIRE. At the approach of the evening, the farmers with their friends and servants meet together, and about six o'clock walk out to a field where wheat is growing. In the highest part of the ground, twelve small fires and one large one, are lighted up. The attendants, headed by the master of the family, pledge the company in old cider, which circulates freely on these occasions. A circle is formed round the large fire, when a general shout and hallooing takes place, which you hear answered from all the adjacent villages and fields. Sometimes fifty or sixty of these fires may be seen all at once. This being finished, the company return home, where the good housewife and her maids are preparing a good supper. A large cake is always provided, with a hole in the middle. After supper, the company all attend the bailiff (or head of the oxen) to the wain-house, where the following particulars are observed: The master, at the head of his friends, fills the cup (generally with strong ale), and stands opposite the first or finest of the oxen. He then pledges him in a curious toast, the company follow his example with all the other oxen, addressing eah by his name. This being finished, the large cake is produced, and, with much ceremony put on the horn of the first ox, through the hole above mentioned. * These fires represented our Lord and the twelve Apostles. |