Question Why is new year such a big thing in Scotland?

[Sid Law]

Late to this thread, but I'm a wee bit older (born 1963) and my Dad who was a tradesman worked on Christmas day during the 1960's although it was treated a bit like a Saturday was back then in that you only worked half a day and finished at lunchtime.

In the 1970's and early 1980's Hogmanay/New Year was a massive thing. In Edinburgh, several thousand hammered people would gather at the Tron on the high street o see in the new year and to drink cheap cider and meet old and new friends with a view to heading on to a house party with the possiblity of getting ones "nat king" if you know what I mean .

My understanding of why the 2nd was also a holiday was because many people had secondary house parties on the evening of the 1st and that the extra day was needed to recover from epic levels of over indulgence.

 

[A1944]

To me, regardless of the origins, England and Scotland having different Christmas/New Year traditions doesn't seem that odd. I have a number of contacts in Europe, some of whom have their celebration on Christmas Eve.

Also, I gather that some countries celebrate Christmas on 6 January (recently, Ukraine was reported as changing from 6/1 to 25/12 to be different from Russia).

 

[phil t]

Also, I gather that some countries celebrate Christmas on 6 January….

6th January is the feast of the Epiphany, which is the point in christmastide where the three kings arrive bringing their gifts. This is the time where some countries exchange gifts, but I wouldn’t say that means they celebrate Christmas then.