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Mìosachan nan Gàidheal: An Geamhradh (Pàirt 2)

Welcome back to The Gaelic Calender: Winter (Part 2)! This week past we had a look holy days, festivals agus the specific elements about this time of year and we shall have a look at the month of January as well.

Am Faoilleach/Mee s’jerree yn-Gheuray/Mìos Deireadh a’ Gheamhraidh
01/01 – Là na Bliadhna Ùire/Là Fèill Moire Màthair Dhè/Laa Nolick Beg/Quaaltagh/Còmhaltaich –
Afer everyone in the house had awoken they would have a nip of whisky in the morning! A bowl of “cabhraich leth-bhruich” would be had for luck as well.
It would be lucky to the people of the home if a good "còmhaltaich" ["first-footer"], a "quaaltagh" in Man. If a singing troupe came with a Duain na Callainne that would be very lucky to the family.
It would be on this day about mid-day that a game of "iomain mhòr” [“Great Shinty”] is played. A Piper plays at the start of the game and and a feast would be had at the end of it.
Juniper is burned in the byre, livestock would be covered with tar, the houses are covered with ash - and urine would be spread on the walls, threshold and animals of the house! This is done for keeping them safe from evil spirits and evil. This happens on “A h-uile latha ceann ràithe,” ["the first day of every quarter of the year"].
“Uair ri Latha Nollaige Bige” ["An hour to New Year's Day"] is said showing the lengthening of the days, that there is an extra hour to be had through the day. [See more on this below on 12/01].

“Diluain Traoidht” and “Diluain an t-Sainnseil” – This day happens on Monday after New Year. It is said one can estimate the weather of the year to come in this day, with a “deuchainn,” but some are of the opinion one can measure the direction of the wind, and the kind of eather to come in the year, on the first day of the year. One measures the direction of the wind of the year in this verse here:
“Gaoth deas, teas is toradh,
Gaoth tuath, fuachd agus gailleann,
Gaoth ’n-iar, iasg is bainne,
Gaoth ’n-ear, meas air chrannaibh.”
["..."]
[You can find other variations of this in the blog here: Faclan agus Abairtean a’ Gheamhraidh.]

06/01 – Là nan Trì Rìghrean/Laa Giense (Twelfth day)/Shenn Laa Nolick ["The Epiphany"] – Dà Latha Dheug na Nollaige comes to a close on this day. latha seo. "Laa Giense" is the name in Man for this day ("Là Geàn" in Scottish Gaelic). They would have much fun and games with the names “Cutting off the Fiddler’s Head,” “The Lackets,” and “The Goggans.” You can find more about them in the book “The Folk-Lore of the Isle of Man,” by A.W. Moore.

“Là Fèill Baisteadh an Tighearna” ["Baptism of the Lord"] is on the Sunday following the sixth day of January.

On the side of the weather we have many words and phrases that are great for describing the weather of January. We have “fuaradh froise” and “na Faoillich” that runs on until February, and “Fèath Faoilich” as well. With the poor weather this will be good for cultivation, where “Todhar an tòrr dhuibh” can be found.

"Am Faoilleach" is described in "The Gaelic Otherworld" by John Gregorson Campbell for the last fortnight of Winter and the the fortnight at the start of Spring. “Tighinn a-staigh le ceann na nathrach, ’s dol-a-mach le earball peucaig” ["To come in with the head of a serpent, and go out with a peacock's tail"] is said of this month. With the topsy-turvy weather at times it is said that you will get “Trì là Faoilleach san Iuchair, ’s trì là Iuchair san Fhaoilleach” ["Three days of January in July, and three days of July in January"] and that a “Fèith Faoilleach agus gaoth Iuchair” ["A calm January and the wind of July"] are the most fickle in the world. “Ceò san Fhaoilleach, sneachda ’màireach” ["Mist in January, snow tomorrow"] is said as well. We have this phrase as well:
“B’ fhearr leam a’ chreach thigh’nn don tìr
Na ’mhadainn chiùin san Fhaoilleach fhuar.”
[“Better the land be plundered, Than a calm morning in February.”]

The confusion of the weather  is represented as well in the phrase “Smeuran dubha san Fhaoilleach” [“Black brambles in January”] is said, with fruit and berries starting to ripen. More on that we have a phrase as well showing us that it isnt a bad thing to be cold about this time of year (with our hands in our pockets with the cold, for example) and we shall be warm eventually when it is more fitting to us:
“Faoilleach, Faoilleach, cruth an crios,
Faoilte mhòr bu chòir bhith ris;
Crodh is caoraich ruith air theas,
Gul is caoidh bu chòir bhith ris.”
[“Wild month, wild month, hoof [“hand”] in belt,
Much rejoicing should be held;
Cows and sheep running in heat,
Weeping and wailing then are met.”]

12/01 – Uair a’ Ghille Connaidh/Greeba Fair/Eve of the Feast of Mochonna of Inis-Patrick – This game was held in Man until 1834. We have “Latha Ghille Chonnaidh” in Scotland as well shwoing the extra time that we have after Winter Solstice where there will be extra time to gather peat and to bring it back. (This is similar to “Latha Cois-cheum Coillich”). Some think that this day comes on- New Year's Day or the twelfth day of January but New Year's Day of old was held on this day.

About the middle of this month “Aiteamh mòr na Fèill Brìghde” [“The Great Thaw of Saint Bridget's Day”], with a development in the weather until the start of Spring on Saint Briget's Day.

25/01 – Laa’l Noo Phaul [Là Fèill Naomh Pòl] ["Feast of Saint Paul"] – There is an account that one can estimate the weather for the year on this day, instead of "Diluain Traoidht" that we have in Scotland, in Man. There is likewise a ditty for it too:
“Laa’l Paul ghorrinagh as gheayagh,
Ghenney er-y-theill as baase mooar sleih;
Laa’l Paul aalin as glen,
Palchey er-y-theill dy arroo as mein.”
[“Paul’s Day stormy and windy,
Famine’s on the earth and much death of the people;
Paul’s day beatiful and fair,
Abundance on the earth of corn and meal.]

Here we have it for holy days and festivals of the Gaels through the Winter and I hope you enjoyed it. I am looking forward to Spring when it comes with what it has to celebrate as well! There must be days and festivals that I haven't mentioned but do you know any holy day or festival that I haven't mentioned? Let us know on facebook, twitter and our own website!