Newsletter Sign Up
Celebrating Christmas?! Forbidden!
While searching for historical ways to celebrate Christmas for my Scottish Highlander books, I couldn’t find very much at all. I quickly learned the reason was because the Scottish people could be fined, excommunicated, and further punished if they observed Christmas!
During the Scottish reformation in the 1560s, as Scotland broke away from Catholicism, Yuletide was banned. The protestant Church of Scotland felt it was a Catholic holiday and removed it from the calendar. The Scottish people moved their winter celebration to Hogmanay, which is celebrated on New Year’s Eve and often carries into parties on January 1st and 2nd. This is when gifts are exchanged.
The ban on Christmas was officially repealed in 1712 but was frowned upon by the church. It wasn’t until 1958 that Christmas was added back to the public calendar in Scotland! In 1974, Boxing Day, December 26th, also became an official holiday. In the 1980’s, as the church became less involved in everyday life, Scots began to celebrate Christmas with the same enthusiasm as the rest of the UK. Although many Scottish people celebrate Hogmanay with more gusto after generations of traditions have added to their preference for the New Year’s Eve holiday.
For more fun historical facts, sign up for my once-a-month newsletter to read my “Strangest Thing I Learned This Month” feature. You will also be the first to see my new covers, get a FREE copy of THE BEAST OF AROS CASTLE and exclusive content, and be up-to-date on my writing projects. Just sign up below if you’d like to be a Kilt Chaser! Happy Holidays!
Hello Awesome Reader!
Below is the form to sign up for my monthly newsletter. It will keep you up-to-date on my cover reveals, new releases, sales, and my crazy writer’s life. There will also be giveaways, fun promo events, and sometimes a picture of my sweet, geriatric pup, Sophie.
Also, the secret staircase within my McCollum Castle is only open to my subscribers. There I will list exclusive scenes, interviews with some of my characters, and possibilities for future writing projects.
Just sign up below to stay in touch! And right now, you will also get a FREE download of THE BEAST OF AROS CASTLE to thank you for subscribing!
Information for both of my names, Heather McCollum and Eleri Drake, are included in the newsletter.
Also – if you are subscribing today to be able to login to the secret staircase, please e-mail me for the password at Heather@HeatherMcCollum.com. I put the password in each of my newsletters, but due to the automation for new subscribers, you might not receive my newsletter (with password) until next month’s issue. Thanks for signing up!
Heather
