The Caldwell tribune. [volume] (Caldwell, Idaho Territory [Idaho]) 1883-1928, 1885-02-27
YULE TIME IN SCOTLAND.
The Extensive Preparations that Are Made
for ia Day of Feasting and Fun.

| -
poets birthday are now won't
. know, writes a correspondent to ~
. Albany argus. Then 1t was a hol
day of many centuries observance
|. and nurses by the cradles of such babe
!, as William Burns laddie were az
customed to Groom of "the festal tim
when of the south the fiery sun whet
comes" Now, in Scotland, as well a
elsewhere the world over, it is neces
sary to tell the inquiring child tn
: ever-new story of the great annual fes
tival of the winter solstice, not cele
brated now with the old-time wassail
but observed still with some measur,
of feasting and revelry.
The ships that arrived on Friday anC
Saturday brought the latest Glasgow
mails, and as our American Scotch
men gather to tell of that birth al
aulden Ayr they will have to read many
home letter and paper telling on the
dearest pages of the Yule just passed
in the loved and far away Scotch land.
The home folk do not speak of Christ
mas as much as they do of Yule, and
the chances are that the auld folk
would never refer to it as synonymous
with the feast of the nativity, though
it stands the greatest holiday of the
Scottish year. Yule is not of the 25th
of December, but of the 9th of January;
for in the olden days time was always
reckoned by the 'old STYLE" and, from
fear that it might have a Romish
flavor, tradition preferred to keep
twelve days behind the rest of the civil
lied world.
Certain very important preparations
were made for the feast as long ago as
November. Each able family killed,
at the approach of winter, pig.
yearliDg, and six or more sheep.
Everything was utilized, Triple was
picked, tallow candles were made,
and out of the kitchen oven came pud-
dings, black and white. Each master
went to the market town and laid in
ample store of groceries of all sorts.
And when the dark and dead half of
the year went out, the warm cellar was
a well-filled larder, and the air was
pregnant with the coming day that
was to break in upon the uneventful
and mOnOtOnous routine of the country
side year with its festivities, its feast
ing, and its fun. The youngsters
looked forward to it with the most
eager anticipation, for in our Scotch
homes there are, besides the mester
and mither, almost always flock of
lads and lassies who enjoy festal-time
with zeal which it is difficult for
jewellers in more favored climes and
more stirring localities to understood.
The stanch conservative mester and |
the genial, hospitable mither, true to |
their principles and instincts, antici-
pated and enjoyed the "day of the
sunlight" that had been kept in the
old house from time immemorial with
the same right royal delight as their
children did, only perhaps in more
ordinary way.
The boys and girls have their semi
annual suits of clothing for the great
occasion, and another invariable and
important preparation is the making
,f the football, Yule always inaugu-
rating the football season s'across the
border" The lads, with great anxi-
'ty and study, cut and sew the leather
covering themselves, using a native
AIMED horse hide. The girls, mean
While, would write little notes of for
nal invitation to every household of
md stay till Yule Gen." for, though it
s general to spend the time at home,
Tet such invitations must be ex- ,
hanged.
Yule came, this year, on a "tisly J.,
called ''tisly" because that
is traditional that Yule, coming on ,
tuesday,, the day is always fine (''tis
ghtfully!" contracted to tis'Iy" a
roperly.) So, of course, it was a @
ovely day, and thus the letter-writers t
ay. Feasting began at 9 o'clock with v
very substantial breakfast. No ma t
1tinal porridge on Yule morning.! +
hough only breakfast, the tables t
roaned with good things. Few were Fl
thriftless but that they could sit
own to such good board as held
'und OF cold corned beef, savory saus-
5es, eggs, rolls, scenes, oatmeal, Is
runnles, marmalade, tea, and cream. u
tier the meal every sideboard brought n
nth large old china punch bowl, n
ept expressly for this purpose, sal lc
'r with large glasses, and cake bas- "
1t heaped with rich short breads. n
nd the bowl 1t contained that in
,nerable and famous Yule breakfast tt
S"iOu WnlpCOl -VeQcTa- "
e because that tradition hath it that tt
was the favorite drink of the dwell o,
s in Valhalla when they first kept in
cir Yule festival; and famous, be- q
use there never is, in Scotland, a k'
ule breakfast without it. We, who ly
e Yankees, are not acquainted with Sc
1t is not egg-fip, but its constitu- bi
t5 are the yelks of a dozen eggs hs
hisked half an hour with about one to
'und OF sugar. added to pint of old Bi
m and quart of sweet cream. A
mper of this, drank to many happy
turns of the day, always rounds off -
I ule breakfast completely. n ne
Right off after breakfast, football ne
mmenced on many a green. Men In
d boys met, and after drinking nc
ans and eating cake provided bVy na
me generous laird, sets were ar ~
nged, goals fixed, and play began.
re older men looked on with interest. d
d the games went on fast and furi- l nl
$ till close up to the dinner hour 80
} clock -whep 1iUht faiIad LII