According to Scottish custom, the first Monday of the new year was the time to give children and servants a small gift, or handsel. Literally something given into the hands of someone else, the gift itself was less important than the good luck it signified. The handsel was popular as a new year’s gift from the 14th to 19th centuries, but it also had a broader application to mark any new situation. It continues today in the form of a housewarming gift to someone moving into a new home.
Source: Almanac.com
- Rachel V Perry: Emancipation Day
- Rachel: The Nemesia
- Bethan: Mawlid an Nabi
- Alexis: Hygeia’s Day
- Nice: The Agonalia
Leave a Reply