STENTON COMMUNITY ASSOCIATION
INVITE YOU TO PARTICIPATE IN
HANDSEL GAMES AT STENTON
On Sunday 3 January 2010
Open for this Parish only
Refreshments in the hall
11.30am meet on the village green
for
your entertainment – a round the village race
and the grand finale – a tug of war
available for a small donation, for your warmth and comfort - bacon rolls and mulled wine
Handsel Monday is the first Monday of the new year particularly as it used to be celebrated in rural Scotland. Handsel refers to small gifts that were customary to be given at the beginning of the first week of the new year. The farmers and landowners who arranged the various functions for their farm workers and servants provided gifts or prizes such as money, books, tea or a currant loaf. Not only children and servants were given gifts but animals too. Farmers would lay extra feed in each manger. In East Lothian it was a holiday and each community held sports or other activities.
Stenton games were held in the Glebe field next to the manse and a longer race was run round the original park. Entertainment was provided by local bands and dancing in the open air helped keep the blood moving.
It was obviously not the best time of year to hold athletic games and they gradually died out by the early 20th Century.
