Shetland wedding traditions: contract night; a bag of bread...
Track Information
Original Track ID
SA1960.058.2
Original Tape ID
Summary
Shetland wedding traditions: contract night; a bag of bread claimed in secret by uninvited neighbours.
The contract night was usually on the Saturday night before a wedding. It was quite a custom and is still [1960] held in the north end of Unst. The best man and another man would dress up and go around to invite everyone in person to the contract night. In later days, printed invitations were handed out, as was done at the last wedding at which Meg Tait actually walked to the church and back to the hall.
Before the days of wedding cakes, people baked a special scone. Another wedding custom was that if someone in the neighbourhood hadn't been asked to the wedding that person could stealthily fasten a buggie [bag] to the door and if he or she was not seen, the hosts would fill it with bread. The person was also supposed to take the bag away in secrecy. It was most likely the children who were set to keep an eye on the bag, and they probably did not take it too seriously.
Recording Location
County - Shetland
Island - Shetland Mainland
Parish - Sandwick
Village/Place - Sandwick
Item Location
County - Shetland
Language
English, Scots
Genre
Collection
Source Type
Reel to reel
Audio Quality
Fair