38 KIRKBEAN FOLKLORE. 
Il.—‘“‘ Kirkbean Foiklore.” By Mr SAMUEL ARNOTT, 
Carsethorn. 
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” 
