Horror Stories from Horrified - Volume One (2)

tr aipsing ar ound houses and pour ing w hisky dow n our necks and hugging folk
w e?d nor mally cr oss the r oad to avoid. It was because w e w er en?t allow ed any fun
at Chr istmas.?
?Why not?? asked Jimmy.
?The Chur ch of Scotland, of cour se. The Kir k. Them bastar d Pr esbyter ian
minister s r unning this place like Joseph Stalin, only w ithout Stalin?s humour ,
war mth and joie de vivre. Chr istmas was out. They saw it as blasphemy against the
Saviour because ye?d deck your house w ith anti-Chr istian heathenr y like Chr istmas
tr ees and mistletoe and holly. In Scotland, Chr istmas Day was never a public
holiday till the late 1950s. Scots didn?t get Boxing Day off till 1974. So w hile people
in England w er e quaffing sher r y and br andy and munching tur key and pudding,
ever yone up her e was tr udging ar ound doing their daily chor es and feeling
miser able.?
?Wher eas Hogmanay ? ?
?Och, New Year was differ ent, son. It was secular. The Kir k couldn?t stick their
nebs into w hat folk did that night. So it was the one time dur ing the festive season
w hen Scots could go out and get hammer ed.?
She paused. The lull in the conver sation was filled by the sound of the w ind
gibber ing above them. Above, because Gr anny Ander son?s cottage was located in a
hollow that pitted the seawar d side of the hill.
?Aye, show s our desper ation. Str uggling thr ough this shite on a w inter ?s night.
How ling w ind, pishing r ain, sub-zer o temper atur es. Just so w e could w ish our
neighbour s a Happy New Year and have a smidgeon of fun.? Then she demanded,
?Yous ar e really pr oposing to fir st-foot ever yone the w hole way dow n the br ae??
?Ever yone,? Lachie avow ed. ?Well, ever yone w ho?s at home.?
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