Handsel Monday

As we approach the first Monday of a new year, it’s interesting to hear how this used to be the day of the main mid-winter celebration in Dunfermline. But after the calendar was changed in 1752, which date should be used? In “Auld Handsel Monday” Jean Barclay explains how this ancient celebration was celebrated and argued over until it was finally replaced by New Year’s Day and by Christmas Day.