What Was New Years Day Called On The Isle Of Mann?

New Year's Day was called Laa Nollick Beg or Little Christmas Day.
Bishop Phillips Manx Prayer Book published around 1610 called it Christmas Day the Little or La Nolick Y Biggy. It was also caleed The Annual Festive Day La ghian blieney. The Scots also called it An Nollaig - bheag ( Little Christmas).
Some traditions attached to that day.

It was considered bad luck to meet a cat first thing on New Years Day.
Nothing should be lent on that day, if the president was set, the lender would be lending all year round.

like the Scots, the Manx people held the tradition of 'First Footing'. The person was called the quaaltagh or qualtagh ( one who meets or is met).This person was the first visitor to the house after mid-night on the last day of the year.
As in Scotland and Ireland it was prefered that this person was a man of dark complexion.
It was considered unlucky to meet a fair- haired or even worse a red- headed person!

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