One of Britain's remotest communities will not celebrate the New Year until nearly two weeks after the rest of the country - because it still adheres to an ancient calendar for the festivity. Foula in Shetland is still to even celebrate Christmas. It marks Christmas and New Year according to the feast days of the old Julian calendar - Yule on January 6 and Newerday on the 13th. The community of just over 30 on the tiny Shetland island has a strong Norse tradition of folklore, music and special festivities. Its inhabitants were the last to speak Norn, a form of old Norse which died out around 1800. Islanders will gather in one house to celebrate Christmas where they will exchange gifts and greetings. They islanders include six children - who had been patiently waiting for Santa Claus. 'Islanders have celebrated these days every since the Georgian Calendar,' said crofter Jim Gear, 71, who was born on the island. 'We have carried this long for a long time - it is part of our tradition. 'We are not unique - other parts of the world still celebrate the old calendar. When New Year comes we will visit each others' houses.' The island is three and a half miles long by two and a half miles wide. At one point, Foula - which lies 15 miles west of mainland Shetland and 100 miles north of mainland Scotland, on the same latitude as outhern Greenland - sustained 287 people. Foula got running water in 1982 and full electricity by 1984, supplied by a diesel generator. It currently has a renewable energy system - mainly photo voltaic - backed up by diesel. The isle is so remote and prone to the weather that attempts by the last Church of Scotland minister, the Rev. Tom Macintyre, to reach it for one Christmas service had to be abandoned after three attempts. On Foula, Mr Macintyre carried out one wedding - when he married Amy and Wullie Ratter in their croft garden - one funeral, where mourners had to walk a mile from the church to the cemetery and, sadly, no baptisms in his five years in charge. Mr Macintyre said he usually left Foula with gifts of lamb and home baking. By special arrangement of the CoS General Assembly, Foula is required to have six visits per year. Foula - meaning "bird island" in old Norse - was the location for the film The Edge of the World. The RMS Oceanic was wrecked on the nearby Shaalds of Foula.

Apologies for sending this! Autofill on the email addy is a pain. Normally I spot it but not on this occasion. At least it's something interesting! Sorry Andy ----- Original Message ----- From: "Andy Hedgcock via" <middlesex_county_uk@rootsweb.com> To: <middlesex_county_uk@rootsweb.com> Sent: Thursday, January 01, 2015 11:55 AM Subject: [MDX] THE REMOTE BRITISH COMMUNITY THAT WILL NOT CELEBRATE NEW YEARFOR ANOTHER FORTNIGHT > One of Britain's remotest communities will not celebrate the New Year > until nearly two weeks after the rest of the country - because it still > adheres to an ancient calendar for the festivity. Foula in Shetland is > still to even celebrate Christmas. > > It marks Christmas and New Year according to the feast days of the old > Julian calendar - Yule on January 6 and Newerday on the 13th. > > The community of just over 30 on the tiny Shetland island has a strong > Norse tradition of folklore, music and special festivities. Its > inhabitants were the last to speak Norn, a form of old Norse which died > out around 1800. > > Islanders will gather in one house to celebrate Christmas where they will > exchange gifts and greetings. > > They islanders include six children - who had been patiently waiting for > Santa Claus. > > 'Islanders have celebrated these days every since the Georgian Calendar,' > said crofter Jim Gear, 71, who was born on the island. > > 'We have carried this long for a long time - it is part of our tradition. > > 'We are not unique - other parts of the world still celebrate the old > calendar. When New Year comes we will visit each others' houses.' > > The island is three and a half miles long by two and a half miles wide. > > At one point, Foula - which lies 15 miles west of mainland Shetland and > 100 miles north of mainland Scotland, on the same latitude as outhern > Greenland - sustained 287 people. > > Foula got running water in 1982 and full electricity by 1984, supplied by > a diesel generator. It currently has a renewable energy system - mainly > photo voltaic - backed up by diesel. > > The isle is so remote and prone to the weather that attempts by the last > Church of Scotland minister, the Rev. Tom Macintyre, to reach it for one > Christmas service had to be abandoned after three attempts. > > On Foula, Mr Macintyre carried out one wedding - when he married Amy and > Wullie Ratter in their croft garden - one funeral, where mourners had to > walk a mile from the church to the cemetery and, sadly, no baptisms in his > five years in charge. > > Mr Macintyre said he usually left Foula with gifts of lamb and home > baking. > > By special arrangement of the CoS General Assembly, Foula is required to > have six visits per year. > > Foula - meaning "bird island" in old Norse - was the location for the film > The Edge of the World. The RMS Oceanic was wrecked on the nearby Shaalds > of Foula. > > > > . > ************************************** > Send your List messages using *PLAIN TEXT* and always *DELETE* all > previous messages EXCEPT the one to which you are replying. > > *MEANINGFUL Subject Lines* ie name or topic, date and place with surnames > only in CAPS. > > List Admin can be contacted at: Middlesex_County_UK-admin@rootsweb.com > > The List Archive, containing all messages posted, can be found at: > http://archiver.rootsweb.ancestry.com/th/index?list=middlesex_county_uk > > . > ------------------------------- > To unsubscribe from the list, please send an email to > MIDDLESEX_COUNTY_UK-request@rootsweb.com with the word 'unsubscribe' > without the quotes in the subject and the body of the message

It was fascinating Andy> Jeanette -----Original Message----- From: Andy Hedgcock via Sent: Friday, January 02, 2015 5:49 AM To: Andy Hedgcock ; middlesex_county_uk@rootsweb.com Subject: Re: [MDX] THE REMOTE BRITISH COMMUNITY THAT WILL NOT CELEBRATE NEWYEARFOR ANOTHER FORTNIGHT Apologies for sending this! Autofill on the email addy is a pain. Normally I spot it but not on this occasion. At least it's something interesting! Sorry Andy ----- Original Message ----- From: "Andy Hedgcock via" <middlesex_county_uk@rootsweb.com> To: <middlesex_county_uk@rootsweb.com> Sent: Thursday, January 01, 2015 11:55 AM Subject: [MDX] THE REMOTE BRITISH COMMUNITY THAT WILL NOT CELEBRATE NEW YEARFOR ANOTHER FORTNIGHT > One of Britain's remotest communities will not celebrate the New Year > until nearly two weeks after the rest of the country - because it still > adheres to an ancient calendar for the festivity. Foula in Shetland is > still to even celebrate Christmas. > > It marks Christmas and New Year according to the feast days of the old > Julian calendar - Yule on January 6 and Newerday on the 13th. > > The community of just over 30 on the tiny Shetland island has a strong > Norse tradition of folklore, music and special festivities. Its > inhabitants were the last to speak Norn, a form of old Norse which died > out around 1800. > > Islanders will gather in one house to celebrate Christmas where they will > exchange gifts and greetings. > > They islanders include six children - who had been patiently waiting for > Santa Claus. > > 'Islanders have celebrated these days every since the Georgian Calendar,' > said crofter Jim Gear, 71, who was born on the island. > > 'We have carried this long for a long time - it is part of our tradition. > > 'We are not unique - other parts of the world still celebrate the old > calendar. When New Year comes we will visit each others' houses.' > > The island is three and a half miles long by two and a half miles wide. > > At one point, Foula - which lies 15 miles west of mainland Shetland and > 100 miles north of mainland Scotland, on the same latitude as outhern > Greenland - sustained 287 people. > > Foula got running water in 1982 and full electricity by 1984, supplied by > a diesel generator. It currently has a renewable energy system - mainly > photo voltaic - backed up by diesel. > > The isle is so remote and prone to the weather that attempts by the last > Church of Scotland minister, the Rev. Tom Macintyre, to reach it for one > Christmas service had to be abandoned after three attempts. > > On Foula, Mr Macintyre carried out one wedding - when he married Amy and > Wullie Ratter in their croft garden - one funeral, where mourners had to > walk a mile from the church to the cemetery and, sadly, no baptisms in his > five years in charge. > > Mr Macintyre said he usually left Foula with gifts of lamb and home > baking. > > By special arrangement of the CoS General Assembly, Foula is required to > have six visits per year. > > Foula - meaning "bird island" in old Norse - was the location for the film > The Edge of the World. The RMS Oceanic was wrecked on the nearby Shaalds > of Foula. > > > > . > ************************************** > Send your List messages using *PLAIN TEXT* and always *DELETE* all > previous messages EXCEPT the one to which you are replying. > > *MEANINGFUL Subject Lines* ie name or topic, date and place with surnames > only in CAPS. > > List Admin can be contacted at: Middlesex_County_UK-admin@rootsweb.com > > The List Archive, containing all messages posted, can be found at: > http://archiver.rootsweb.ancestry.com/th/index?list=middlesex_county_uk > > . > ------------------------------- > To unsubscribe from the list, please send an email to > MIDDLESEX_COUNTY_UK-request@rootsweb.com with the word 'unsubscribe' > without the quotes in the subject and the body of the message . ************************************** Send your List messages using *PLAIN TEXT* and always *DELETE* all previous messages EXCEPT the one to which you are replying. *MEANINGFUL Subject Lines* ie name or topic, date and place with surnames only in CAPS. List Admin can be contacted at: Middlesex_County_UK-admin@rootsweb.com The List Archive, containing all messages posted, can be found at: http://archiver.rootsweb.ancestry.com/th/index?list=middlesex_county_uk . ------------------------------- To unsubscribe from the list, please send an email to MIDDLESEX_COUNTY_UK-request@rootsweb.com with the word 'unsubscribe' without the quotes in the subject and the body of the message