Whuppity Scoorie Day facts for kids

Whuppity Scoorie is a fun, old festival celebrated in Lanark, Scotland. It happens every year on March 1st. This special day marks the start of spring!

Local children gather near the St Nicholas church. At 6 PM, a small bell rings. This is the signal for everyone to start running! Kids run around the church three times, going in a clockwise direction. They make lots of noise and swing paper balls on strings above their heads. It used to be a race, but now it's just for fun and to make sure everyone, especially younger kids, can join in safely.

After their three laps, something exciting happens! Members of the Community Council, who organize the event, throw coins for the children to scramble for. It's like a treasure hunt! The Community Council also hosts a "Whuppity Scoorie Storytelling Festival" and art workshops. These activities continue after the main event until March 7th.

Why Do We Celebrate Whuppity Scoorie?

The exact start of Whuppity Scoorie is a bit of a mystery! But there are some cool ideas about how this old tradition began.

Chasing Away Winter

One popular idea is that Whuppity Scoorie started as a way to celebrate spring. People wanted to scare away winter or any bad spirits. Imagine making lots of noise to tell winter to leave and let spring arrive!

Longer Days and Playtime

Another idea is that the festival marks when the days get longer. In the past, there were often rules about when people had to be home (called curfews). When the days got longer, these rules might have changed. This meant children could play outside for longer, which was a big deal!

Remembering History

Some people think the event might be connected to an old religious custom. In this custom, people would be gently whipped three times around the church. After that, they would be "scoored," meaning washed, in the nearby River Clyde. However, old town and church records don't mention this happening.

There's also a theory that the celebration helps remember the sad story of William Wallace's wife.

How Whuppity Scoorie Changed Over Time

The first time Whuppity Scoorie was mentioned in a local newspaper was in the mid-1800s. The newspaper was called The Hamilton Advertiser. Back then, it was called the "wee bell ceremony," which shows how important the church bell ringing was.

The Name and Laps

In 1893, the Advertiser first used the name "the custom known as Whuppity Scoorie." The very next year, it was simply called "Whuppity Scoorie." The idea of running three laps around the church was also first mentioned in 1893. The writer at the time said this part of the custom was already 120 years old!

Past Traditions

The newspaper also reported on how boys in those days would roll up their caps and tie them with string. After the bell rang, they would march to New Lanark. There, they would meet boys coming from the other direction and sometimes have playful fights. By 1880, things got a bit rougher, with stones sometimes being thrown. Because of this, the police had to stand along the road between the villages to keep everyone safe and peaceful. Luckily, today's Whuppity Scoorie is much safer and focuses on fun for everyone!