EES 
SS 
ON THE ETHNOGRAPHICAL SURVEY OF THE UNITED KINGDOM. 621 
helps himself to a slice of the haggis, and walksaway. Each one that calls 
afterwards does the same. The custom still exists, but not to such an 
extent as in days of old. ‘There’s not one in fifty’ compared with old 
times. 
110. Minnigaf—All dirty water and ashes —in short, all that is usually 
carried out of a house each morning—are carried out on the last evening 
of the year. This is done that nothing may have to be taken out on New 
Year’s Day. 
111. Znch.—The ashes, as well as all dirty water, were carried out of 
the house on the last evening of the year. 
112. Minnigaff:—Nothing was given out of a house on New Year’s 
Day. 
113. Inch, Minnigaff—tIt was deemed unlucky to give a burning peat 
to a neighbour to kindle a fire on the morning of New Year’s Day, and 
no housewife would do so. 
114. Minnigaff.—It was taken as an omen for good if one brought 
anything into the house on New Year’s Day. 
115. Jnch.—It was accounted unlucky for a man with red hair to come 
into the house on New Year’s morning as ‘ first fit.’ If it was known that 
one with such hair intended coming as ‘first fit,’ means were taken to 
forestall him. 
116. Mochrum.—One with fair hair is accounted an unlucky ‘ first fit’ 
on the morning of the New Year. There are some that will not open the 
door to one having such hair. 
117. Mochrwm.—One with dark hair is counted a lucky ‘ first fit’ on the 
morning of New Year’s Day. 
118. Jnch.—One of good character was preferred as ‘first fit’ on the 
morning of New Year’s Day. 
119. Creebank Farm, Minnigaffi—At 12 o’clock on New Year’s Eve 
the ‘foreman’ entered the master’s bedroom as ‘first fit.’ He carried 
with him a sheaf of oats and a bottle of whisky. He cast the sheaf on 
the bed over the master and his wife. A glass of whisky was then 
poured out and health to the family and prosperity to the farming opera- 
tions were drunk to. 
120. Mochrum.—It was customary on the morning of the New Year to 
give a portion of unthreshed oats to each of the horses and the cattle of 
the farm. 
121. Mochrum.—One must have on some piece of new dress on New 
Year’s Day. 
122. Minnigaff:—As the clock strikes twelve at night on Hogmanay 
a large bonfire is kindled on the Green of the village of Minnigaff. For 
some weeks before the boys are busy collecting brushwood and pieces of 
fallen trees from the neighbouring woods. The Earl of Galloway, to 
whom the woods belong, gives all facilities for this purpose. By the last 
day of the year a goodly quantity of material has been gathered. On that 
day everyone is busy in erecting the pile to be burned, and before the 
appointed hour everything is ready. There is no ceremony before or at 
the kindling, and there is no special person set apart to apply the fire. The 
pile burns through the night and commonly through part of next day. 
{t is always erected on the same spot. About seventy years ago the 
bonfire was composed of different material. For months before the bones 
all round the district were collected and stored in a little hut built by the 
boys with rough stones in a corner of the village green. The bones of 
