Saturday 7 December 2013

Advent Book Quiz Day 7

Day seven of our festive quiz.

Some local festive non-fiction today. If you know the author and title then post them in the comments (answers will remain hidden until the closing date of 1st January). Don't forget to visit us tomorrow for another advent extract :-)

Though the time was changed in the year 1752, Orcadians held to the old style, which was twelve days later. Even within forty years back, one old residenter in Finstown stuck tenaciously to old Yule Day and old New Year's Day. 
Preparations for these feast days were made by baking scones, brewing ale, and by taking in an extra quantity of peats on Yule Even, the peaty neuk being filled up to the rafters with a supply sufficient to last over New Year's Day. On Yule Day no work was done, the day being spent in visiting and treating. If open weather, one or two of the old men made a pilgrimage in the early morning to the top of the hill, to see if any trace of frost could be found, for a green Yule augured ill for the health of the community. A dance for the young people was held in the evening, all returning to their homes for supper, for that was the event of the day. The other meals of the day consisted of the usual cheese and bread accompanied with ale, but there was always "flesh" for supper. 

2 comments:

  1. Reminiscences of an Orkney Parish by John Firth

    ReplyDelete
  2. Eeeerrrmmmm.. is it The Silver Bough by F. Marion McNeill? (I am being very good and not checking the Orkney room until I have guessed!)

    ReplyDelete

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