Home» Word of the Month» January 2009

Scots Word for January

Handsel

Handsel, n., A gift bestowed to commemorate an inaugural occasion, event or season, e.g. the beginning of the year, the first visit to a friend's new home or the commencement of a new undertaking, the wearing of new clothes, etc., with the idea of bringing good-luck to the recipient.
This word, borrowed from Old Norse handsal, denotes a good-luck gift, especially one given at the beginning of the New Year.

An early recorded use of it in A Dictionary of the Older Scottish Tongue comes from William Dunbar: "God gif to thé ane blissed chance ... In hansill of this guid new ȝeir". Hansel Monday was the first Monday of the year, on which the New Year's handsel was often given.

The Buccleuch Muniments of 1635 contain the request: 'Send some moneyes heir to me again Hansel Monday that I may gratifie my master and other seruants'. The Journals of Sir John Lauder, Lord Fountainhall, 1665–76 record "Then on the 2d of January 1671, being hansell Monday, I gave my wife to give out to people who expected handsel, 4 dollars".

Scottish Language Dictionaries wad walcum a hansel fae ye on Handsel Monday 2009, or ony ither day, gin ye wad like tae keep up the tradition.

A guid New Year tae ane an aw fae the the staff at SLD!

The Scots column is written by Christine Robinson. You can contact her with any questions.