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Cois-ceum Coilich

Cois-ceum Coilich

Posted by Shelagh on Thursday 7 January 2016

One of the best things about this time of the year is that the days are gradually growing longer. In South Uist and Harris, it was said that on New Year’s day there was a cois-cheum coilich (rooster’s step) – as the afternoon was slightly longer, the rooster would take the hens one extra step away from the house to feed.

In Barra, latha cois-cheum coilich (the day of the rooster’s step) was on Christmas Day – here, it meant that on the 25th of December the rooster would be able to take the hens one step further away from the house than he would on the 22nd due to the lengthening days.

In Carmina Gadelica there is a phrase, cois-cheum coilich agus a sgròban làn (a rooster’s pace with his crop full), which would be used to describe something happening slowly and in a stately manner.

Have you ever heard about cois-cheum coilich? Or is there anything that you will take the opportunity to do in the gradually lengthening afternoons? We’d love to hear from you through Facebook or Twitter.

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