38 KiRKBEAN FOLKLOKE. 



II. — "■ Kirkbcan Folklore:' By Mr SAMUEL Arnott, 

 Carsethom. 



We naturally begin with New Year's Day, but in the parish 

 its celebration was conducted in the usual way. The custom of 

 " first footing-," which has now almost fallen into desuetude, was, 

 until comparatively recently, almost universal throughout the parish. 

 As in other places, the " first foot " went to the houses of his friends 

 with his bottle of whisky with which to treat all the inmates, who, 

 in return, expected that he should partake of the contents of the 

 house bottle and of the shortbread or currant loaf provided for the 

 occasion. Certain individuals were, from some cause or other, con- 

 sidered to bring misfortune to the house if they were the first to 

 cross its threshold on New Year's Day. Besides these ill-omened 

 individuals, there were others presenting certain physical character- 

 istics who were equally unlucky to the household they were the 

 first to enter that day. These were "fair" or '"red-haired" 

 people, and those who were " flat-footed." In the course of my 

 inquiries I heard of one woman who was considered an unlucky 

 " first foot," and on asking why this was so, I was told that it 

 was " because she was flat-footed." 



To the youthful members of the population who had the for- 

 tune to be under the tuition of a teacher who kept up the '• good 

 old style," Candlemas day — the 2nd of February — was one of the 

 most welcome of the year. It was the day of the " Cannelmass 

 Bleeze," when the stern discipline of the dominie was relaxed 

 (one would almost say was suspended) and the day given over 

 to mirth and jollity. The Candlemas " bleeze " was an unknowing 

 survival of the pre-Reformation feast in honour of the purification 

 of the Virgin Mary, at which candles were burned, or perhaps of 

 the ceremony spoken of by Herrick, of which he says : — 



Kindle the Christmas brand, and then 



Till sunset let it burn, 

 Which quenched, then lay it up again 



Till Christmas next return. 



Part must be kept, wherewith to teend 



The Christmas log next year, 

 And where 'tis safely kept, the fiend 



Can do no mischief there. 



I have been unable to trace anything- in the celebration of the 

 Candlemas " bleeze " which would explain why the word '• bleeze " 



