Thoir an t-soiridh seo thar chuaintean, Gu tìr uaine nam beann àrda, 'S fàg aig a' Chladach-a-Tuath e Ged nach ann a fhuair mi m'àrach

Bear this greeting over the seas To the green land of the high mountains And leave it at the North Shore Though it's not there that I was raised.

When holidays come we all think of home, no matter where that home may be. The Gaels, of course, are no exception, and Hebrideans living in places as far apart as London, England, and London, Ontario, could probably empathize with the Gaelic bard who wrote the verse above, the Rev. Malcolm Campbell.

The Reverend Campbell was not writing about a home in the Hebrides, however, but about the North Shore of Cape Breton, where his mother lived. He called the song "Oran na Bliadhna Uire," the "Song of the New Year."

On tha bhliadhna seo aig deireadh, 'S Bliadhn' Ur eile nise làimh ruinn; 'S còir gun sgrìobh mi beagan facail Do'n té dh'altrum mi nam phàisde.

Since this year is ending And another New Year is at hand, It is fitting that I write a few words To the woman who nursed me when I was a child.

Christmas and New Year's aren't originally "Celtic" holidays, but they are two of the most important holidays of the year to all the Celtic peoples. In Scotland, New Year's Eve has particular importance. In Gaelic Scotland it is called "Oidhche Challainn" while in Scots it is known as Hogmanay. Christmas is known in Gaelic as "Nollaig," and sometimes "Nollaig Mhór" or "Big Christmas." New Year's was sometimes called "Nollaig Bheag," or "Little Christmas." In Gaelic Ireland, the same name is applied to Epiphany. New Year's Eve in Ireland was not as big a holiday, traditionally, as Christmas.

Christmas in Gaelic Scotland was primarily a religious holiday - many of the modern trappings of secular Christmas, such as Christmas trees, didn't arrive until the Victorian era or later. One correspondent on Gaelic-L, the Gaelic e-mail list-service, pointed this out when asked about Scottish Christmas stories: "Nuair a bha mi nam bhallach beag, cha robh Bodach na Nollaig a' tadhal oirnn air Latha na Nollaig. Bhiodh e a' tighinn thugainn an dèidh Oidhche Challainn air a' chiad latha den Bhliadhna Ur, ged a bha craobh Nollaig againn agus ged a bha partaidhean Nollaig ann an talla na h-eaglais againn." ["When I was a little lad, Santa Claus didn't visit us on Christmas Day. He would be coming after Hogmanay Night on the first day of the New Year, although we had a Christmas tree and although we had Christmas parties in the in the church hall."] Before Christmas trees became common, people would decorate their houses with greenery and candles.

There are many religious prayers or blessings associated with Christmas and the New Year. Alexander Carmichael recorded some of them in the 19th century his Carmina Gadelica. Here's a portion of one:

Beannaicht an taigh 's na bheil ann, Eadar chuall, is chlac, is chrann, Iomair do Dhia, eadar bhrat is aodach, Slàinte dhaoine gun robh ann.

Bless the house and that which is in it, Between rafter and stone and beam, Give all to God from rug to linen, A health to those herein.

Although caroling at Christmas is an English and not a Gaelic tradition, Gaelic Scotland has produced many beautiful Christmas hymns and songs. One of the best known is "Leanabh an àigh" - "Child of wonder" - written by Mull poetess Màiri NicLùcais, or Mary MacDonald, who was born about 1790-1800 and died in 1872. She was very active in the Baptist church on Mull. The tune to "Leanabh an àigh" is well known even to non-Gaelic speakers as Cat Stevens adopted it for "Morning is Broken." Here is the first verse:

Leanabh an àigh An leanabh bh'aig Màiri, Rugadh san stàball, Rìgh nan dùl; Thàinig don fhàsach Dh'fhulang nar n-àite, Son' iad an àireamh Bhitheas dha dlùth.

Child of wonder The child of Mary, Born in a stable, King of all; He came to the desert Suffered in our place, Happy is the host Who are to him faithful.

Religious services played an important part in the celebration of Christmas, particularly Midnight Mass on Christmas Eve in Catholic areas. But the holiday season was not entirely devoted to solemnity! There was certainly a great deal of merriment among families, friends and neighbors. In some places, celebrations once lasted the entire twelve-day season of Christmas.

Scottish folklorist Margaret Bennett gave a fascinating account of how some Gaelic settlers in the New World kept the Twelve Days of Christmas in her book "The Last Stronghold: The Scottish Gaelic Traditions of Newfoundland. " For the Gaels of the Codroy Valley in western Newfoundland, the holiday season began on Christmas Eve and ran through Jan. 6, or "Old Christmas Day."

One of Margaret Bennett's informants was Angus MacNeill. He described the Twelve Days of Christmas for her: "They would arrange to have a big 'time' in a different house every night during the Twelve Days of Christmas ... there would be the biggest kind of a time with Grandpa playing the pipes, and people singing and playing the accordian and the fiddle, and with dancing and step-dancing. And of course there would be plenty to eat; the women would make a big 'feed' with bottled meats and pickles and jams, bannocks, breads, pies and Christmas fruit cakes ... of course there would be lots to drink all through."

Another custom common in the Codroy Valley was mumming - all during the Twelve Days people would disguise themselves in old clothes and masks and go from house to house to play music and dance. The people they visited would have to guess who they were. This custom seems to have been remembered in America and Australia long after it was forgotten in Scotland.

A special night for the Newfoundland mummers was Oidhche Challainn - New Year's Eve. This was true in Scotland and Cape Breton as well. In old times, people would dress in cowhides and sheep skins and go from house to house, circling houses "deiseal" or sunwise, beating on the walls - driving the old year out to let the new year in. Then they would go to the door and recite a special rhyme, Rann na Callainn, requesting entry and food and drink. Here's an example that Allan MacArthur of Codroy Valley gave to Margaret Bennett:

Oidhche chullainn Challainn chruaidh Thàinig mise le m' dhuan gu taigh. Thubhairt am bodach rium le gruaim Buailidh mi do chluais le preas. Labhair a' chailleach a b'fhearr na'n t-òr Gum bu chòir mo leigeil a-staigh Air son na dh'ithinn-sa de bhiadh Agus deuran beag sìos leis.

On a cold frosty Night of the Callainn I came with my rhyme to a house. The old man said to me with a frown I'll hit you on the ear with a briar. Said the old woman who was better than gold That I should be let in For all the little food that I would eat And a little drink to go with it.

Although Christmas Trees and Father Christmas or Santa Claus (Bodach na Nollaig, Dadaidh na Nollaig) are relatively recent introductions to the Gaelic world, they have certainly made their mark. I'll close with another little poem and anecdote drawn from Atlantic Canada. This came from Frank MacRae of North River Bridge, who was interviewed by Cape Breton's Magazine many years ago. When he was young a group of parents wanted to introduce a Christmas tree to the local schoolhouse - a radical innovation at the time. One of the school trustees, a man named George MacLeod, was opposed to the idea. The tree was put up, and another local, Duncan MacLean, made an amusing poem about the event in Gaelic, with plenty of English thrown in!

Am faic thu craobh 's a' chorner? Mar tha i air a "loadadh" Le "candies" agus "toys", le "ornaments" dhaor	Do you see a tree in the corner? It's after being loaded With "candies" and "toys" And expensive ornaments
Ged a thigeadh a' rìgh Seoras Chan fhaiceadh e dad mì-dhòigheil, 'S ann a bhiodh e pròiseil Le òigridh an tìr.	Although the king George would come He wouldn't see anything improper He would be proud of the youth of the land.
A nigheanan, bithidh thu dòigheil; 'S e "bachelor" th'ann an Claus Seinnibh dha an t-òran "Cha phòs mi ach thu."	Young girls, behave well, For Claus is a bachelor Sing to him the song, "I'll marry none but you."

The "king George" in the song wasn't the English king, but MacLeod the trustee! The full interview with MacRae and his wife Margaret can be found in Cape Breton's Magazine number 46.

For those interested in Gaelic Christmas songs and customs, I strongly recommend the album "Nollaig Chridheil" produced by B&R Enterprises in Cape Breton and reviewed in this issue of Scottish Radiance.

I'd like to wish you a Merry Christmas, and a Good New Year. Nollaig Chridheil, agus Bliadhna Mhath Ur!

You can find more articles in the archive under Fada 's Farsaing (Far and Wide)

If you would like to talk to Liam you can email him.

New

Home

Contents

Archive

Scottish Radiance Designed and Copyright 1998 Innovative Consulting Services, Inc.

Radiance