Scotland's Christmas: Festive Celebrations, Traditions and Customs in Scotland from Samhain to Still Game (2023)
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Paperback
216 pages Extremis Publishing Published September 2023 ISBN-10: 1739484509 ISBN-13: 978-1739484507 Hardback 216 pages Extremis Publishing Published September 2023 ISBN-10: 1739484517 ISBN-13: 978-1739484514 Book Details: Winter festivals in Scotland have been going on for a very long time—at least 10,000 years, in fact, which means that they predate traditional Christmas celebrations by some eight millennia! Scots have always loved to party when the days are cold and the nights are long. But what was the basis for all this seasonal merrymaking, and exactly what makes a Scottish Christmas so unique? And wasn’t Christmas illegal in Scotland for 400 years? In this book, thought to be the first on the subject, popular culture researcher Dr Tom Christie and archaeologist Dr Murray Cook take a look at how Christmas and other winter festivals have been celebrated, banned and reborn throughout Scotland’s long history. As well as considering the cultural impact of Christmas on Scotland over the centuries, the authors also meander into yuletide myths and legends as well as the food, the literature and many little-known facts along the way. In the modern age, Christmas has started to have an increasing impact on the popular culture of Scotland, and the book delves into how this celebration has been portrayed across different media such as TV, film, music, computer games and more. On top of all that, Scotland’s Christmas also highlights a series of the worst festive seasons ever to be experienced in fair Caledonia through the years—and as you will read, there’s a fair bit of competition for that infamous title over the ages, from Sir William Wallace to Bonnie Prince Charlie and beyond. So get ready to discover exactly when Scotland discovered Santa Claus (and vice-versa), why the Wulver is arguably the country’s least conventional festive hero, how Edinburgh influenced Charles Dickens’s creation of Ebenezer Scrooge, where the country’s first deep-fried mince pie was produced, and so much more besides. But whatever else you do, avoid the dreaded Chimney Demon at all costs—it might end up scorching more than your Christmas stocking on the fireplace! Scotland’s Christmas includes a foreword by actor, comedian, writer and presenter Sanjeev Kohli. Features: Scotland's Christmas covers the history of winter celebrations in Scotland dating back 10,000 years, including pre-Christian events, the medieval period, the Enlightenment and early modern eras, and the present day. Detailing the customs and traditions that came to typify these events, the book moves from the influences of antiquity through to modern depictions of Christmas in Scotland including films, TV programmes, music and computer games. It also considers how some of Scotland's most famous historical figures came to be connected with the festive season. The book is fully illustrated, and is available in both paperback and hardback editions. The Inside Story: Scotland's Christmas is a collaboration between myself and my friend Dr Murray Cook, Stirling's Burgh Archaeologist. The concept came about as a result of a number of presentations we had given together, including a podcast and a public lecture, where we had considered the neglected topic of Christmas in Scotland. What exactly was it about a Scottish Christmas that made it stand apart from the celebrations of other neighbouring countries... and why did it end up being banned for centuries? These presentations went down well with attendees, and it convinced us both that there was interest in a full-length book on the subject. Murray is a long-established expert in Scotland's ancient history, having taken part in excavations all over the country for many years, and he relished the opportunity to explore how Scots were celebrating in winter long before Christmas itself was recognised. As the research moved on to the medieval period, everything from folklore to festive food was thrown into the mix, while the infamous later banning of Christmas in Scotland came to have all sorts of cultural ramifications lasting for centuries - a phenomenon which the book explores in detail. By the time we get to the present day, it was especially interesting to take a look at the different ways that a Scottish Christmas has been depicted in popular culture - and to discuss exactly why it continues to fascinate artists across so many diverse creative modes. We were especially grateful to actor, writer, presenter and comedian Sanjeev Kohli for agreeing to provide the foreword for the book. In addition to his high-profile appearances in the Christmas specials of BBC TV's legendary sitcom Still Game, he was also one of the stars of Scottish festive movie Lost at Christmas, and as such was able to write with great authority about what it is about Christmas in Scotland that makes it so special. |
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