Prior to theReformation of 1560,Christmas inScotland, then called "Yule" (alternative spellings include Yhoill, Yuil, Ȝule and Ȝoull; seeYogh) or in Gaelic-speaking areas "Nollaig", was celebrated in a similar fashion to the rest ofCatholic Europe.Calderwood recorded that in 1545, a few months before his murder,Cardinal Beaton had "passed over the Christmasse dayes with games and feasting".[citation needed] However, the Reformation transformed attitudes to traditionalChristian feasting days, including Christmas, and led in practice to the abolition of festival days and other church holidays,[1][2] theKirk and thestate being closely linked in Scotland during theLate Middle Ages and theEarly Modern period. A 1640 act of theParliament of Scotland abolished the "Yule vacation and all observation thereof in time coming".
| Yule Vacance Act 1640 | |
|---|---|
| Act of Parliament | |
 | |
| Long title | Act dischairging the Yule vacance, appointing the session to sit doun the first of November and ryse the last of Februar, and to sit doune the first of June and ryise the last of Julii. |
| Citation | June 1640 c. 7 |
| Territorial extent | Scotland |
| Dates | |
| Royal assent | 5 June 1640 |
| Other legislation | |
| Repealed by | Rescissory Act 1661 |
| Relates to | Yule Vacance Act 1711 |
Status: Rescinded | |
| Yule Vacance Act 1690 | |
|---|---|
| Act of Parliament | |
 | |
| Long title | Act discharging the Yule Vacance. |
| Citation | April 1690 c. 52 |
| Territorial extent | Scotland |
| Dates | |
| Royal assent | 19 July 1690 |
| Repealed | 7 December 1711 |
| Other legislation | |
| Repealed by | Yule Vacance Act 1711 |
Status: Repealed | |
Two acts of theEstates of Parliament — theYule Vacance Act 1640 (Act discharging the Yule vacance) (5 June 1640)[3] and theYule Vacance Act 1690 (April c. 52)Act dischargeing the Yule vacance (15 April 1690)[4]— abolished the Yule Vacance (Christmas recess).
| Yule Vacance Act 1686 | |
|---|---|
| Act of Parliament | |
 | |
| Long title | Act for the Christmas Vacance. |
| Citation | 1686 c. 7 |
| Territorial extent | Scotland |
| Dates | |
| Royal assent | 24 May 1686 |
| Other legislation | |
| Repealed by | Statute Law Repeal (No. 3) Act 1690 |
| Relates to | Yule Vacance Act 1711 |
Status: Repealed | |
The first act was partlyrepealed by theYule Vacance Act 1686 (c. 7),[5] whenEpiscopalianism was briefly in ascendancy within the Kirk.
| Yule Vacance Act 1711 | |
|---|---|
| Act of Parliament | |
 | |
| Long title | An Act for repealing Part of an Act passed in the Parliament of Scotland, intituled, "Act for discharging the Yule Vacance." |
| Citation | |
| Territorial extent | Scotland |
| Dates | |
| Royal assent | 22 May 1712 |
| Commencement | 7 December 1711[c] |
| Repealed | 17 March 1715 |
| Other legislation | |
| Repeals/revokes | Yule Vacance Act 1690 |
| Repealed by | Yule Vacance Act 1714 |
| Relates to | |
Status: Repealed | |
| Text of statute as originally enacted | |
| Yule Vacance Act 1714 | |
|---|---|
| Act of Parliament | |
 | |
| Long title | An act for repealing an act, intituled, "An act for repealing part of an act passed in the parliament of Scotland, intituled, 'Act for discharging the Yule vacance.'" |
| Citation | 1 Geo. 1. St. 2. c. 28 |
| Territorial extent | Scotland |
| Dates | |
| Royal assent | 21 September 1715 |
| Commencement | 17 March 1715[c] |
| Repealed | 15 July 1867 |
| Other legislation | |
| Repeals/revokes | Yule Vacance Act 1711 |
| Repealed by | Statute Law Revision Act 1867 |
Status: Repealed | |
| Text of statute as originally enacted | |
The second act was partly repealed in 1712 by theYule Vacance Act 1711 (10 Ann. c. 22)[a] of theParliament of Great Britain.[6]
The third act was repealed by theYule Vacance Act 1714 (1 Geo. 1. St. 2. c. 28).
Christmas became a Bank Holiday in Scotland in 1871.
The 1640 act stated (inMiddle Scots):[3]
"... the kirke within this kingdome is now purged of all superstitious observatione of dayes... thairfor the saidis estatis have dischairged and simply dischairges the foirsaid Yule vacance and all observation thairof in tymecomeing, and rescindis and annullis all acts, statutis and warrandis and ordinances whatsoevir granted at any tyme heirtofoir for keiping of the said Yule vacance, with all custome of observatione thairof, and findis and declaires the samene to be extinct, voyd and of no force nor effect in tymecomeing."English translation:[7]
"... the kirk within this kingdom is now purged of all superstitious observation of days... therefore the said estates have discharged and simply discharge the foresaid Yule vacation and all observation thereof in time coming, and rescind and annul all acts, statutes and warrants and ordinances whatsoever granted at any time heretofore for keeping of the said Yule vacation, with all custom of observation thereof, and find and declare the same to be extinct, void and of no force nor effect in time coming."
Robert Jamieson recorded the opinion of an English clergyman regarding the post-reformation suppression of Christmas:[8]
"The ministers of Scotland, in contempt of the holy-day observed by England, cause their wives and servants to spin in open sight of the people upon Yule day, and their affectionate auditors constrain their servants to yoke their plough on Yule day, in contempt of Christ's nativity. Which our Lord has not left unpunished, for their oxen ran wud, and brak their necks and lamed some ploughmen, which is notoriously known in some parts of Scotland."
The period of festivities running from Christmas toHandsel Monday, includingHogmanay andNe'erday, is known as the Daft Days.[9][10][11]
Christmas in Scotland was traditionally observed very quietly because theChurch of Scotland, aPresbyterian church, for various reasons[clarification needed] suppressed Christmas celebrations in Scotland after theReformation.
Christmas Day was made apublic holiday in 1958[12] in Scotland,Boxing Day only in 1974.[13] The New Year's Eve festivity,Hogmanay, was by far the largest celebration in Scotland. The giftgiving, public holidays and feasting associated with mid-winter were traditionally held between 11 December and 6 January. However, since the 1980s, the fading of the Church's influence and the increased influences from the rest of the United Kingdom and elsewhere, Christmas and its related festivities are now nearly on par with, or surpass, Hogmanay andNe'erday.Edinburgh,Glasgow and other cities now have traditional GermanChristmas market from late November until Christmas Eve.[14][15]
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