Did You Know?
- Boxing Day
It is that on the 26th December, here in Scotland, Boxing Day is celebrated, but alas not as part of the 'Yuletide Festival' as once was. But more the hunting of the bargains as many of the retailers sell their wares at 'sale' prices, a ploy no doubt to ensure that their tills continue to ring after Christmas Day.
This feature on Boxing Day in Scotland was contributed by Huntingtower (a name associated with a castle near Perth). You can see his Web site here.
Origins
The reason that the December 26th was known as 'Boxing Day' was the fact that many centuries ago, the Lord and Lady of the manor/castle/estate gathered together at the manor house, castle etc., the workers including those from the outlying fields, forests and streams, the day after Christmas Day and organised the distribution of the annual necessities, done according to the status of the worker and the size of the family.Into boxes and barrels would go supplies of cloth spun by the spinsters, the cobblers leather goods, new tools and supplies of salt and spices. Also dried goods such as meat, fish, vegetables and some fruit and cereals grown on the estate for bread making. This the giving out of such boxes became "Boxing Day".
Sweetie Scone Day
Also it was that Boxing Day was in some parts of Scotland was known as 'Sweetie Scone' Day. As part of the Festive Fayre in humble hooses, the cottage gudebread included 'sweetie-skons' (Sweetie Scones), which contained dried fruit and spices, and were the forerunner of oor modern "Currant Loaf". The ingredients more than likely given by the Lord or Lady of the estate, as there were few homes that could afford such luxury of dried fruit and spices, but friendly neighbours would make up the deficit to those that could not afford, nor had the ingredients. So it was the custom that either the Lord / Lady of the estate, to their workers, would invite them to sample or to give the 'sweetie-skon' or that neighbours would invite neighbours to sample or give the 'Sweetie Scone' to others.Boxing Day Today
Nowadays though, cannie Scots often wait till Boxing Day before the purchase of items of high cost, for nothing worse than to have bought before the 25th to find the price much reduced after then!But, although called 'Boxing Day' the 26th had nothing to do with the contest of sparring, when I espy some of the lassies almost coming to blows with each other when a 'sale bargain' in the last of its number, and more wishing that article than hangs on a rack, then maybe the name for the after Christmas Day was well enough named....
Where else would you like to go in Scotland?
