Handsel Monday, the first Monday after January 1, was an old 18th century Scottish tradition where masters would give their servants presents and give them the day off. Sweet!

“Handsel” is a Middle English word meaning good luck or good omen. The handsel present was typically money, meaning even the poorest servant had a little extra cash to spend on Handsel Monday. There were feasts, drinking, and music starting at midnight, with young people marching through town playing fiddles and tin horns.  Inevitably, things tended to get a little wild with shooting of firearms, which, wielded by inexperienced hands, resulted in accidents.

Somewhat similar to Boxing Day, which eventually supplanted it, handsel relied on physical objects as gifts rather than money.  Tradition said that the object could not be sharp, or it would “cut” the relationship between the giver and the recipient. One exception to this was the custom of “handseling a purse”. A new purse would be given but not until it was filled with money for good luck. Money received during Handsel Monday is supposed to ensure monetary luck all for the rest of the year.

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