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Glainne na Bliadhn' Ùire

Glainne na Bliadhn' Ùire

Posted by Shelagh on 8 January 2015

Happy New Year to you all from the DASG team! This week, we will be looking at a variety of Hogmanay traditions.

The phrase Glainne na bliadhna ùire (Glass of the new year) was collected in North Uist and refers to a special glass that was kept in the house and only used to bring in the new year. (This was before alcohol was kept in the house all year round.)

In some areas, ‘gillean-Callainn’ or ‘Hogmanay lads’ would go round the houses on Hogmanay and sing a special verse, ‘The Hogmanay Carol’, which appears in Carmina Gadelica. The lads would expect to receive some food or drink for their efforts and, according to a source from South Uist, if the householders failed to give them any provisions, they would build a small cairn, càrn nam mallachd (lit. cairn of curses) at the front door.

In the same carol, there is also mention of the ‘Caisean Challainn’ – a piece of animal hide that would supposedly bring luck to the house. This phrase is used in a poem by Mairi MacPherson (in the collection Dàin agus Òrain Ghàidhlig), where she mentions ‘lads at the door [at Hogmanay] with ‘caisean-Callainn’ in their hands’.

The phrase breacag nan gille cullaig was also collected in South Uist, and refers to a special bannock or cake that was made for the Hogmanay lads. A similar cake is also referred to in another poem by Mary MacPherson – ‘Na bannagan-Callainn.’

Do you have a special glass that is only used at New Year, or do you make a special cake for Hogmanay? We would be interested to hear of any other traditional Hogmanay customs through Facebook or Twitter.

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