The History of Scottish Christmas: Druids, Romans & Vikings (Scottish Folklore)

I wish you all a wonderful festive period and happy new year when it comes.

Although Scotland has been a predominantly Christian country for many years now, it may surprise you to know that Christmas is a fairly recent tradition in our country. Other areas of Britan have celebrated Christmas for 100s of years, so why does Scotland appear to have such a strange affiliation with the holiday. That is exactly the question I hope to answer in today’s video. The history of Scottish Christmas.

References:
Corning, C. (2006) The Celtic and Roman Traditions: Conflict and Consensus in the Early Medieval Church. Palgrave Macmillan. ISBN 1-4039-7299-0.
Ellis, P. (1994) Dictionary of Celtic Mythology. Oxford University Press, ISBN 0-19-508961-8
Keene, C. (2013) Saint Margaret, Queen of the Scots: A Life in Perspective. Springer. ISBN 978-1-137-03564-6.
Koch, J. T. (2006) Celtic Culture: A Historical Encyclopedia. ABC-CLIO.
Orchard, A. (1997) Dictionary of Norse Myth and Legend. Cassell. ISBN 0-304-34520-2.
Simek, R. (2007) Dictionary of Northern Mythology. Translated by Angela Hall. D. S. Brewer. ISBN 978-0-85991-513-7

[elle]

Your channel, (and Julie fowlis’s music) has helped me so much with reconnecting to my Scottish culture. I can feel these stories in me like remembering a once forgotten memory. Thank you so much for sharing our stories. You’re keeping us alive.

[natalieb.]

My father emigrated with my grandparents to America in 1952. In our family, we spent Christmas with my mother's people and New Years Eve with my father's. I loved visiting my Dah building a bonfire & telling tales because he was born on the Orkney Islands. Now as an adult, I've worked every Christmas, unphased by the traditions but before going to work in NYE I spend the time making steak pie & black bun; going first footing after closing our restaurant-bar with my friends. Singing the full song of Auld Lang Syne, which has always shocked me since childhood that folks in America don't know all the words. Quite the identity crisis to have been raised in the American South, by a black mother and a Scottish-born father ....but have more traditions from both to be so different from the "culture" here.

[userunknownx]

It is difficult to make hard headed closed minded individuals understand that most every culture celebrated the solstice before Christianity existed, and you do a most wonderful job of doing so.
I raise a glass of good fortune to you in the spirit of the New Year!

[secretgardentribe]

I have always wondered why Hogmanay is more prominent in Scotland, whereas in England it is Christmas that is more prominent. Thank you very much.

[kevinmikkola]

I'm a Canadian with Finnish/Scottish ancestory. For some reason I was only every focused on Finnish mythology and folklore. And then your video popped up on my feed. Now I want to learn everything I can on Scottish mythology and folklore. Thanks for your video and I am now a subscriber.

[edamamameU]

This was fascinating--I love learning about my ancestors. I was so fortunate to be able to enjoy the Hogmany festivities when I used to live and study in Scotland. It was so hauntingly beautiful to parade through the streets of Edinburgh with thousands of other people carrying torches. I remember that some of the Jarl Squads from Shetlandcame that year and kicked the festivies off by burning a "small Viking galley." I'm hoping to make it to Up Helly Aa in Shetland in the future. In the meantime, I'll just have to celebrate some of my favourite Scotish festivities back in the U.S. until I can visit family and friends in Scotland again.

[susanfarley]

I have always wondered what Hogmanay was about. This video has been great help. Very interesting!

[kathycarlson]

Thank you for this brilliant summary of the influences on Scottish Christmas. I'm a Yank (of Swedish origins) who lived in Aberdeen in the early 70s (not with oil). Because Swedes go overboard on celebrating Christmas, we were surprised at the attitudes towards Christmas that prevailed in the northeast. Recently, I've noticed that Facebook and YouTube have included Christmas celebrations from all over the northeast of Scotland. It's beautiful.

[alia]

Thank you. My grandfather was born in Stromness and eventually moved to America in the 1950s. We had our own traditions past on by him and my Nan (who was Glaswegian) which was harmlessly different from the other American families we knew but I had never heard much discussed about Scotland at the end of the 19th century. Which is to say, the folklores my Dah shared with us and the sort of rituals he introduced us to were no different from the Irish who came over a generation before he had. My father had said when he and his siblings grew up in America they were the family that didn't celebrate Christmas in the traditional fashion until Charlie Brown aired on the tele, but they were the "crazy family" that went all out for New Years Eve with Dah's massive bonfire in the backyard, and Nan's huge feast with preparing for First Footin' through the town.

[charlotteillustration]

Thank you, that was fascinating. I have always wondered why Hogmanay was so much more important in Scotland than in England, coming to the conclusion that it was simply the need to party in the midst of a long Scottish winter, but your explanation makes far more sense!

[jackpayne]

A wonderful potted history, as we've come to expect here. Any mention of the Scottish Reformation makes me think of John Knox, with his impressive Druidic beard, and his book 'The First Blast of the Trumpet against the Monstrous Regiment of Women'. That's a memorable title - John Knox clearly had a high opinion of his own righteousness, and a low one of women in general. I don't think I would have liked him very much, despite the fine beard.

[noreenclark]

I always wondered why we celebrated New year as opposed to Christmas now I know. I enjoyed listening to the history about the festival's of Pagan people, and Druids of long ago. Thanks so much for telling us. Have a Guid Hogmanay and hope the New year is prosperous.for you 🥃

[Davlavi]

Did not know it was such a difference in traditions.

[madmark]

Interesting. I am Scottish, born and bred, although I now live in the USA. I lived in Scotland (various parts) for the first 55 years of my life. I am in my mid 60s, and my mother told me that when she was a little girl living in the north east there were no Christmas presents, but rather there were New Year presents. I don't think she knew the history of that tradition but it was interesting to get an idea of why that would have been the case. I love history and there are indicators of ancient history all over Scotland in the place names, the structures and traditions of the past. I look forward to seeing more of your videos.

[resourcedragon]

As someone else pointed out (might have been Bruce Fummey), the fact that the Scottish reformers had to have such severe penalties for people who celebrated Yule or Christmas suggests that a lot of people _did_ want to celebrate it. The ban on Christmas was not popular.

When I listen to Scottish mythology I get the strong feeling that many Scots never really relinquished their pagan beliefs, there was a Christian overlay but what a lot of people believed deep down was pagan.

[anthonyline]

I have a new any of this I love hearing all the history and traditions

[lauradavison]

Very interesting for someone from Newcastle upon Tyne. A lot of traditions we celebrate here near the border.

[TimetravelerMN]

What do absolutely great video you put together I’m sure you put a lot of work into it. I love the imagery. I would love to be able to make video like this myself. I got to visit with three of the sacred sites you listen to videos daddy’s going to Callanish and many others during my celtic Shaman, Isn’t trip. I just wanted to say hi to barely hear you turn my volume up on my Earbus hoping that would work.

[jared]

Thank you once again for another dive into Scottish traditions. I think I prefer the celebration of the Daft Days, which I am doing now.

[authormichellefranklin]

One thing to remember: the ritual of mistletoe being cut by the Druids comes from Pliny, so we're not sure how accurate that is.