Many old traditions revolved around Christmas.  Up to the last century, Christmas chants were very numerous.  It was the boys of the township who preformed the ceremonies attendant on the chants.  Groups of boys used to go from house to house and from township chanting the old traditional songs.  They were known in Gaelic as gillean Nollaig, ‘Christmas lads’, or alternatively goisearan, ‘guisers’.  When they entered a dwelling they would immediately lift up any child they found.  If there was no child in any particular house, a substitute of some kinds was used; the baby or imitation childe being known as Christ or Cristea, ‘the little Christ.”  The infant was placed on the skin of the a male lamb, a creature without blemish, which was first carried three times around the fire in a diseal (‘sunwise’) direction, the leader of the boys carrying it, while all the boys followed, singing a chant known as the Christmas Hail.  The sacred lamb-skin was called uilim.  Afterwards, offerings were made to the babe.  Then the people of the house gave the Christmas lads food and drink and a feast followed.

An interesting tradition for the stock was Nollaig do Spreidh, and continued in some areas at least until the mid-nineteenth century.  For example apparently on the island of Lismore, it was the custom to provide each animal with a special breakfast on Christmas morning.  Horses and cows were given a sheaf of corn from the stall; sheaves of corn were spread out for the sheep in the fields; pigs and the poultry likewise has a special feast.   If there was a suitable tree near to the barn a sheaf of oats was hung up on it.  If not, a wooden pole was erected and the sheaf was fastened to the top of the pole – accustom reminiscent of the most archaic pagan practices.    In Breadlabane the cows were believed to go down on their knees in their byres at midnight on Christmas Eve.  Another very odd Highland belief was that all the bees would leave their hives at three o’clock on Christmas morning, to return again immediately.

Since December 1, 1999