Before Christmas was Xmas

Reader Bronwym writes:

Further to the age of Christmas celebrations, my stepmother used to have to work on Christmas Day as a young woman in Scotland in the 1930s. It was an ordinary working day, with the holidays being around Hogmanay instead. Something to do with dour Presbyterianism I suspect. Holy days ≠ holidays.

For all the non-Scots out there, Hogmanay is New Year’s Eve. No offense, Bronwyn, I just thought that needed some clearing up.