About Christmas in Scotland - Dundee Courier 1876

[Currie]

From The Dundee Courier & Argus, Monday, December 25, 1876.

CHRISTMAS IN SCOTLAND.

THE growth in the observance of Christmas in Scotland may be regarded as one of the interesting minor features in the life of the nation. There was a time, of course, when to the Scottish people Christmas was a day as important, and as religiously important, as to any other people in Christendom. It is interesting to notice, in our pre-Reformation records—a good many of which fortunately remain to us how the people of Scotland observed their Christmas in the olden time by going to their parish churches, and afterwards holding a deal of jollification, very much in accordance with what is now, as it no doubt was then also, the orthodox English mode of honouring the great Christian festival. As everybody knows, the religious revolution in the sixteenth century changed all that. Since that time, with some interruptions, the religious observance of Christmas in this country has not only been ignored, but prohibited, by law, ecclesiastical and civil. But the secular or festive side of the observance, although that also was utterly condemned by Church and State alike, never passed so completely out of the customs of the people as did the religious. It did so to a very considerable extent, but in some parts of the country, particularly in these northern parts, Christmas or Yule continued to be a noted time in the calendar. As we learn from an interesting book which was published a few months ago, Grant's "History of the Burgh Schools," the school boys of the northern towns frequently engaged in hot contention with the local authorities for their Christmas holidays, and they generally seem to have had the best of the argument. The youth of those days had no strong convictions as to the unscriptural character of Christmas, or its opposition to the genius of the Presbyterian Church. Indeed, at a time when the strength of Episcopacy in the North was by no means contemptible, it is possible that they were encouraged by their seniors in their outbreaks on the approach of the 25th of December, by the consideration that Christmas observances were specially obnoxious to the Presbyterianism of the time.

Still, both as a holy day and holiday, Christmas had decidedly for long fallen into general disrepute in Scotland, the New Year's Day festival taking its place. In our own time, however, we are witnessing something like a resuscitation of the observance of Christmas. Even the religious associations of the day have begun to command respect in the very heart of the Presbyterian Church. For a number of years it has been a custom for some Presbyterian ministers—especially, we believe, of the Establishment—to have service for their congregations on Christmas Day. By many more this innovation has been advocated, though these have not seen their way to practise it themselves in the absence of ecclesiastical authority for so doing. Others, again, as some of our readers doubtless were yesterday made aware, pay their respects to the day on the Sunday immediately preceding. It has been thought that the decision of last General Assembly in the Dunse case may possibly interfere with tendencies of this kind. But that is rather more than doubtful, and indeed it is improbable that, at least on some points, the decision referred to will or ought to stand. There is certainly no ecclesiastical authority in Scotland, rather the reverse, for the observance of Christmas as a Christian festival; but it is no contradiction to that to say that it would be an extraordinary stretch of authority to attempt to prohibit Christian people from meeting together for worship in their churches on the 25th of December. It would surely be very impolitic to make any such attempt. This is a time of the year in which we seem to have need of all our religion, and it could not be an evil, but good, to put ourselves in harmony with our fellow-Christians throughout the world. By associating an act of public worship with our festivities, we would do something towards taking from them that senseless and brutish character which for ages has but too largely entered into the merry-making of many people at this season of the year.

Whatever may become of the religious observance of Christmas in Scotland, it is obvious that there is a rapidly increasing number of people in these parts who are not insensible to the attractions of the Christmas family dinner or the evening party, or even to those "Christmas cards," which fill the booksellers' and stationers' windows at present, and in which, we are told, a great trade has sprung up within the last few years—to the grief of the postman perhaps, though it may be they find their account in the "Christmas boxes" which they look for about this time from their friends the public. This increased attention which is given in Scotland to Christmas, in the way of eating and drinking, and generally making merry and being agreeable and pleasant, is in the same measure due to an increase in the number of the comfortable classes, the people who are at least moderately well off, and who thus have it in their power to make themselves and those about them comfortable. Of course, without the existence of some means, not only what is necessary to the maintenance of life but a little over, there cannot be any rejoicing of the kind which requires an expenditure of money. But the close intercourse, the continual coming and going between England and Scotland, has doubtless helped materially to develop a feeling of respect in the latter country for the Christmas roast beef and plum pudding of the former, and for all other social amenities which these good things may be taken to represent. There is no fear of Scotchmen turning their backs upon their nationality. We are not going to transform ourselves into Englishmen, nor is the Presbyterian Kirk in the smallest danger, even although it is beginning to show a little respect for Christmas; but it is only natural, and surely not in the least improper, that the merry-making so common to-day on the other side of the Border should produce some answering response on this side.

In wishing our readers a merry Christmas, which we do heartily, it cannot be inopportune to look just for a moment at an aspect of this present season which is suggestive of an emotion the opposite of mirth. Life is made up of joys and sorrows. Both are necessary to its moral development, and both therefore enter into the general system of things with which we are acquainted. The Scriptural call to rejoice with those who rejoice, and to weep with those who weep, is in unison with requirements of our higher nature. To-day, while many are feasting, it should not be forgotten that many also are fasting, and that for people lovingly to remember and help their poorer neighbours is what is looked for as one of the best fruits of the religion which they may be to-day professing. Nor can we this day forget the tempests which in the present stormy winter time have been sweeping around our coasts, or the sad wreck and ruin, and desolation of many a widow and orphaned heart, which these calamities have wrought. It is almost literally true that this season the despairing cries of drowning men mingle with our Christmas anthems and rejoicings. Surely, it is a call to join sympathy, heartfelt and helping, with our mirth.


Merry Christmas,
Alan

P.s. If anyone is interested, the Burgh Schools book mentioned is available online here: http://archive.org/stream/historyburgha ... 2/mode/2up

[Russell]

Alan you must have telepathic properties My family were discussing just this topic yesterday and attributing the change from non-observance to celebration to american influences. This most apt article has blown our theories away and brought the answer much closer to home (i.e. our neighbours south of the border) Religion and politics are so intertwined in Scotland.
Your skills in digging up insights like this benefit all of us.

Russell

[Alan SHARP]

Greetings Alan.

Your Christmas press clippings really puts the season, and the way we celebrate it into an interesting, and enlightening focus. Especially so for those of us interested in our roots.

I’ve just attended a Christmas Day church service in our local Presbyterian Church, and one could be excused for thinking, that observance was steeped in very old traditions, brought to NZ by the likes of my Gt Grand Father, from the environs of Glasgow, in 1842.

But then we read your press clipping for the day, and I’m immediately reminded of your past Christmas clippings, so went looking for them.

Your previous posts:-

From “The Working Man's Friend, and Family Instructor” 1833. (p.205)

viewtopic.php?f=1&t=15098&p=120358&hili ... as#p120358


[ http://www.google.com.au/books?id=UTQFA ... nd&f=false ]

From The Aberdeen Journal, Wednesday, December 25, 1850

THE BARRA PEASANTRY.

viewtopic.php?f=1&t=16486&p=132088&hili ... as#p132088

From the Dundee Courier, Wednesday, December 22, 1858.

AULD YULE; OR, CHRISTMAS IN SCOTLAND.

viewtopic.php?f=24&t=15671&p=125213&hil ... as#p125213

Please Alan [currie], keep finding them, and posting them, as they are all part of our rich heritage.

From the other down under Alan –

Alan SHARP.