Open main menu
Home
Random
Recent changes
Special pages
Community portal
Preferences
About Wikipedia
Disclaimers
Incubator escapee wiki
Search
User menu
Talk
Dark mode
Contributions
Create account
Log in
Editing
Handsel Monday
Warning:
You are not logged in. Your IP address will be publicly visible if you make any edits. If you
log in
or
create an account
, your edits will be attributed to your username, along with other benefits.
Anti-spam check. Do
not
fill this in!
{{short description|Scotland traditional celebration}} {{Infobox holiday |holiday_name = Handsel Monday |type = |image = |imagesize = |caption = |official_name = |nickname = Auld Hansel Monday |observedby = Scotland |litcolor = |longtype = |significance = |begins = |ends = |date = |scheduling = nth weekday of the month |duration = 1 day |frequency = annual |week_ordinal = first |weekday = Monday |month = January |celebrations = |observances = |relatedto = }} In Scotland, '''Handsel Monday''' or '''Hansel Monday''' is the first Monday of the year. Traditionally, gifts ({{langx|sco|Hansels}}) were given at this time.<ref>[http://www.worldwidewords.org/weirdwords/ww-han2.htm Michael Quinion, "World Wide Words: Handsel"]. Retrieved 7 May 2013</ref> Among the rural population of Scotland, ''[[wikt:auld|Auld]] Hansel Monday'', is traditionally celebrated on the first Monday after January 12. This custom reflects a reluctance to switch from the old ([[Julian calendar|Julian]]) style calendar to the new ([[Gregorian calendar|Gregorian]]) calendar.<ref name="World Dict">[http://www.credoreference.com/entry/hfcwd/handsel_monday. ''Holidays, Festivals, and Celebrations of the World Dictionary'', ''s.v.'' "Handsel Monday," Detroit: Omnigraphics, Inc., 2010]. Retrieved 7 January 2013,</ref> ==History== The word "handsel" originates from old Saxon word which means “to deliver into the hand”. It refers to small tips and gifts of money given as a token<ref>[http://www.scotslanguage.com/articles/words/1154 Handsel at Scots Language Centre] {{webarchive|url=https://archive.today/20130705033754/http://www.scotslanguage.com/articles/words/1154 |date=2013-07-05 }}. Retrieved 4 July 2013</ref> of good luck, particularly at the beginning of something; the modern house-warming gift would be a good example. An 1825 glossary marks Handsel Monday as an occasion "when it is customary to make children and servants a present".<ref>John Trotter Brockett, A glossary of north country words, in use, 1st edition, 1 vol., Newcastle upon Tyne: 1825.</ref> On this day, tips of small gifts were expected by servants,<ref>[http://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/handsel%20monday Definition at Merriam-Webster]. Retrieved 4 July 2013</ref> as well as by the postman, the deliverers of newspapers, scavengers, and all persons who wait upon the house. In this respect it is somewhat similar to [[Boxing Day]], which eventually supplanted it.<ref name="World Dict" /> If the handsel was a physical object rather than money, tradition said that the object could not be sharp, or it would "cut" the relationship between the giver and the recipient. The day is known in [[Scottish Gaelic]] as {{lang|gd|Diluain Traoighte}} (drained Monday). The custom was also known as “handseling a purse”. A new purse would not be given to anyone without placing money in it for good luck.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.ucc.ie/celt/online/T100054.html |title=The History of Ireland |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130726125426/http://www.ucc.ie:80/celt/online/T100054.html |archive-date=26 July 2013}}</ref>{{fv|date=December 2022}} Money received during Handsel Monday is supposed to ensure monetary luck all for the rest of the year. The period of festivities running from [[Christmas in Scotland|Christmas]] to Handsel Monday, including [[Hogmanay]] and [[Ne'erday]], is known as the Daft Days.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.scotslanguage.com/articles/node/id/316|title=Scotslanguage.com - Fergusson's Daft Days|website=www.scotslanguage.com}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|url=https://dsl.ac.uk/entry/snd/feast|title=Dictionary of the Scots Language:: SND :: feast}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|url=https://dsl.ac.uk/entry/snd/daft|title=Dictionary of the Scots Language:: SND :: daft}}</ref> ==References== {{reflist}} ==External links== *[https://news.google.com/newspapers?nid=110&dat=19011218&id=lXg1AAAAIBAJ&sjid=XCUDAAAAIBAJ&pg=7032,1001543 Handsel Monday], ''[[Ludington Daily News]]'' [[Category:Christmas-linked holidays]] [[Category:Culture of Scotland]] [[Category:January observances]] [[Category:Unofficial observances]] [[Category:Holidays in Scotland]] [[Category:Hogmanay]] [[Category:Giving]] [[Category:Holidays and observances by scheduling (nth weekday of the month)]] [[Category:Monday]] [[Category:Christmas in Scotland]] [[Category:Winter in Scotland]]
Edit summary
(Briefly describe your changes)
By publishing changes, you agree to the
Terms of Use
, and you irrevocably agree to release your contribution under the
CC BY-SA 4.0 License
and the
GFDL
. You agree that a hyperlink or URL is sufficient attribution under the Creative Commons license.
Cancel
Editing help
(opens in new window)
Pages transcluded onto the current version of this page
(
help
)
:
Template:Cite web
(
edit
)
Template:Fv
(
edit
)
Template:Infobox
(
edit
)
Template:Infobox holiday
(
edit
)
Template:Lang
(
edit
)
Template:Langx
(
edit
)
Template:Main other
(
edit
)
Template:Reflist
(
edit
)
Template:Short description
(
edit
)
Template:Template other
(
edit
)
Template:Webarchive
(
edit
)