Page:Folk-lore - A Quarterly Review. Volume 3, 1892.djvu/264

 :;6 ''First-Foof in the British Isles.

Notes on the First-Foot and Allied Superstitions.

It gives me great pleasure to be able to respond to the Editor's appeal by presenting for publication in FOLK- LORE the following contributions which I have received from friends of mine interested in the question of the " first- foot". I may mention first a friend of Mr. Craigie's, of Oriel College here, who writes to him from his native neighbour- hood of Leuchars as follows :

" In Fife, we object to red hair and flat feet, but not to women, so far as I know. Carrying in a knife or a pointed tool is very bad, and, of course, borrowing or lending on that day is impos- sible. To give fire out of the house would be disastrous. I shall make further inquiries, but our custom is to carry in food and drink when first-footing. Empty hands are doubly disas- trous." — W. Anderson.

There is no objection to a woman as a first-foot, Mr. Craigie tells me, in Forfarshire ; he has heard women saying to their neighbours, " Fll come and first-foot you ; mind you, I have a lucky foot." The favourite thing to take is a red herring, but it is somewhat regarded as a joke, and if you arrive before the family is up, which is very probable, as the first-foot sets out usually soon after twelve, you may tie the red herring to the door-handle. The first-foot is not unfrequently trysted, in other words, arranged for beforehand. The usual thing in the town of Dundee is for the first-foots to muster in the High Street, which they do in such numbers that the place is crowded. When it strikes twelve, they skail in all directions, and there is a special tramcar to take some of them to Lochee, a suburb about two miles off, the idea being that it is the right thing to await the new year in the High Street.

Handsel Monday, i.e., first Monday after New Year's Day, or that day itself (in case it be Monday), is the day for making presents. Christmas Day was formerly of no