DASG Blog

Bannag

Happy New Year to you all! This week, it was a pleasure for me to find more about practices in the islands connected to Hogmanay. I was always of the opinion that the folk in my own village did little to keep these old traditions alive, and I enjoyed discovering that there would still be an excuse after Christmas to eat cake, and take revenge on those that gave you nothing!
 
Oidhche nam Bannag, or night of the Bannocks, was Christmas Eve to some, and New Year’s Eve to others. In South Uist, the bannock was known as breacag nan gille cullaig, and thus it is known as Oidhche Chullaig in Skye. The bannag was given to the boys who had come visiting on New Year’s Eve. The Carmina Gadelica tells us that the clach-bhannag, or bannock-stone, was given to the girls as a symbol of Brigit, the saint who served Christ. It is Brigit who brings the new year to life, and who will receive gifts in this way in a couple of months time for the fresh green spring gifts she’ll give us. The children recited the following verse as they moved from house to house:

“Thoir a’ bhiadh do fhear –an-tighe, ’s thoir a bhannag dhomhsa.”
 
“Give the man of the house his food, but give the bannock to me!”

It was a tradition of the lads to build a cairn outside the house of someone who hadn’t given them anything when they went to visit them. This was called càrn nam mollachd, or cursing cairn in South Uist. The lads gathering again after their wanderings would put together a tréathd, or party in which they would celebrate with their winnings.

 
Carmina Gadelica also tells us that it was the important responsibility of the folk in the house to turn the bannag deiseil, or sun-wise, in order that bad luck would not befall the family. It was imperative that no remains of flour would be left in the meal-chest after having been baked. This way, you may avoid the cailleach, who would make a seat on the meal-chest and eat up the portion of good luck reserved for the family. You may read more about bannock traditions in Carmina Gadelica, Volume II, here.

Children in Wales would do the very same thing as Gaels, and they called the New Year’s gift the calennig. This was an apple, skewered by sprigs of pine, holly and corn. A calennig could also come in the form of money or a splash of water from a great tub!
 
If you know of any unusual New Year’s customs in any other places, then please do get in touch on Facebook or Twitter.