Midway through winter is the celebration of New Year’s. Oidhche Challainn (New Year’s Eve) is the beginning of the new year and Latha Challainn is New Year’s Day.
Houses were decorated with holly to keep the fairies away as it was one of the woods which repelled them. The gillean Challainn (New Year’s boys) used to dress up in old clothes, stuffed with straw. While travelling through the village, the young men struck the walls of the houses they passed by, which was meant to frighten off evil spirits. One person wore a hardened bull hide with horns and hooves still attached; he jumped around and shook the horns and hooves while the others beat the hide with sticks, and sang New Year’s songs (duain Challainn). These customs, which varied from place to place, were brought to Highland settlements in Canada and observed into the 20th century.
Duan Challainn-New Year’s Song
The gillean Challainn circled the houses deiseil (clockwise), the lucky way. Going tuathal (counter-clockwise) was unlucky.
Callainn a bhuilg
Callainn a bhuilg
Buail am boicionn
Buail am boicionn
New Year’s of the sack
New Year’s of the sack
Strike the hide
Strike the hide
Callainn a bhuilg
Callainn a bhuilg
Sios e suas e
Buail am boicionn
Callainn a bhuilg
Callainn a bhuilg!
New Year’s of the sack
New Year’s of the sack
Down with it, up with it
Strike the sack
New Year’s of the sack
New Year’s of the sack
After the entertainment, they collected food and went round the fire deiseil (clockwise) and sang. They singed a portion of hide and all had to smell it for luck.
If the young men were badly treated or not given food, they walked around the house tuathal (counterclockwise) and further damned the house by building a cairn of cursing.
When they had amassed a collection of food, they went to one house where the girls were waiting and prepared a feast; leftovers were taken to the sick and others in need.
