大象传媒

Air a鈥� chiad shealladh, chan eil e follaiseach c貌 脿s a th脿inig am facal a th鈥� againn airson 鈥淐hristmas鈥� 鈥� Nollaig. Tha a鈥� Bheurla soilleir gu le貌r 鈥� Christ鈥檚 Mass. Ach Nollaig? Uill, ann an seann Gh脿idhlig 鈥檚 e Notlaic a bh鈥� ann. Agus Nadolig ann an Cuimris. Bha fuaim 鈥渢鈥� no 鈥渄鈥� ann am meadhan an fhacail. Bha MacBheathain dhen bheachd gun do dh鈥櫭╥rich e 脿 freumh Laidinn 鈥� natalicia, a鈥� ciallachadh 鈥溍爉 breith鈥�. Tha sin a鈥� d猫anamh ciall.

听听听听听听听听听听听 Tha sinn a鈥� d猫anamh dheth an-diugh gur e an Nollaig an c貌igeamh latha fichead dhen D霉bhlachd, a鈥� riochdachadh latha-breith 脤osa Chr矛osd. Ach, anns an t-seann aimsir, agus chan eil e cho fada sin bhuaipe, bha d脿 Nollaig ann 鈥� an Nollaig Mh貌r agus an Nollaig Bheag. B鈥� e an Nollaig Mh貌r an t猫 air a bheil sinn e貌lach an-diugh. B鈥� e an Nollaig Bheag Latha na Bliadhn鈥� 脵ire. Agus tha an Nollaig a鈥� nochdadh ann an grunn seanfhaclan. Seo eisimpleir:

Cha robh samhradh riamh gun ghrian,

Cha robh geamhradh riamh gun sneachd,

Cha robh Nollaig Mh貌r gun fhe貌il,

No bean 貌g le de貌in gun fhear.

Uill, cha chan mi cus mun loidhne mu dheireadh! Ach tha e soilleir gum biodh daoine ag ithe fe貌il gu le貌r aig 脿m na Nollaig, ged nach biodh a leithid pailt aig amannan eile dhen bhliadhna.

听听听听听听听听听听听 Th脿inig mi tarsainn air seanfhacal eile mun Nollaig, agus tha e gu math inntinneach 鈥� Nollaig an-diugh 鈥檚 Bealltainn a-m脿ireach. Christmas today and May Day tomorrow. D猫 tha sin a鈥� ciallachadh?

听听听听听听听听听听听 Uill, bhiodh na seann daoine ag r脿dh 鈥� nam biodh latha na Nollaig ann air, can, Diluain gum biodh Latha na Bealltainn, a bha a鈥� leantainn air, air Dim脿irt, an l脿rna-mh脿ireach. Nollaig an-diugh 鈥檚 Bealltainn a-m脿ireach. Uill, chuir mi sin fo dheuchainn, le bhith a鈥� toirt s霉il air na beagan bhliadhnaichean a dh鈥檉halbh. An robh e f矛or? Agus seo na lorg mi:

听听听听听听听听听听听 2006: Nollaig Diluain, Bealltainn Dim脿irt. Gl猫 mhath. Tha e a鈥� leantainn modail an t-seanfhacail. 2007: Nollaig Dim脿irt, Bealltainn mmm Diardaoin. Cha do dh鈥檕braich sin. 2008: Nollaig Diardaoin, Bealltainn Dihaoine. Gl猫 mhath. 2009: Nollaig Dihaoine, Bealltainn Disathairne. Math dha-r矛ribh. 2010: Nollaig Disathairne, Bealltainn Did貌mhnaich. Sgoinneil. Agus 2011: Nollaig Did貌mhnaich, Bealltainn mmm Dim脿irt. Uill, tha e ag obair anns a鈥� chuid as motha de bhliadhnaichean.

听听听听听听听听听听听 Ach tha p脿tran eile ann. Gu math tric, taobh a-staigh na h-aon bhliadhna m矛osachain, bidh Latha na Bealltainn agus Latha na Nollaig air an aon latha dhen t-seachdain. Eadar 2006 agus 2011, bha sin f矛or a h-uile bliadhna. Saoil a bheil seanfhacal ann mu dheidhinn sin? Bealltainn an-diugh is Nollaig an-diugh cuideachd...?

听听听听听听听听听听听 Co-dhi霉, bu mhath leam d霉rachd Nollaig thraidiseanta a thoirt dhuibh uile:

听听听听听听听听听听听 Guidheamaid buaidh is piseach oirbh,

听听听听听听听听听听听 Nur laighe 鈥檚 猫irigh sl脿n;

听听听听听听听听听听听 Ur taigh gun bhoinne snighe ann,

听听听听听听听听听听听 鈥橲 ur ciste-mhine l脿n.

Nollaig Chridheil dhuibh uile.

Nollaig: Christmas; Cuimris: Welsh language; 脿m breith: time of birth; Oidhche nam Bannagan: the night of the cakes; math dha-r矛ribh: excellent; sgoinneil: fabulous; 辫脿迟谤补苍: pattern.

air a鈥� chiad shealladh: at [on the] first sight; ann am meadhan an fhacail: in the middle of the word; bha MacBheathain dhen bheachd gun do dh鈥櫭╥rich e 脿 freumh Laidinn: (Alexr.) MacBain (a famous Gaelic scholar and etymologist) was of the opinion that it arose from a Latin root; tha sinn a鈥� d猫anamh dheth an-diugh: we reckon today; an c貌igeamh latha fichead dhen D霉bhlachd: the 25th of December; a鈥� riochdachadh latha-breith 脤osa Chr矛osd: representing the birth day of Jesus Christ; anns an t-seann aimsir: in the olden days; agus chan eil e cho fada sin bhuaipe: and it鈥檚 not that long ago; b鈥� e an Nollaig Bheag Latha na Bliadhn鈥� 脵ire: the Nollaig Bheag was New Year鈥檚 Day; airson a bhith ri sp貌rs is dibhearsain: to be involved in fun and games; cha robh samhradh riamh gun ghrian: there was never a summer without sun; gun sneachd: without snow; cha robh Nollaig Mh貌r gun fhe貌il: there was never a Christmas without meat; no bean 貌g le de貌in gun fhear: nor a willing young woman without a man; cha chan mi cus mun loidhne mu dheireadh: I won鈥檛 say too much about the last line; tha e soilleir gum biodh daoine ag ithe fe貌il gu le貌r: it鈥檚 clear that people would be eating plenty of meat; ged nach biodh a leithid pailt aig amannan eile: although such a thing would not be plentiful at other times; chuir mi sin fo dheuchainn: I put that to the [under a] test; a鈥� toirt s霉il air na beagan bhliadhnaichean a dh鈥檉halbh: looking at the past few years; taobh a-staigh na h-aon bhliadhna m矛osachain: inside the one calendar year; Nollaig Chridheil dhuibh uile: Merry Christmas to you all.

At the end of the Litir I gave you a traditional Christmas greeting. Here鈥檚 the translation. Keep it and use it next year!: Guidheamaid buaidh is piseach oirbh: let us wish you success and prosperity; Nur laighe 鈥檚 猫irigh sl脿n: sleeping and rising healthily; Ur taigh gun bhoinne snighe ann: your house without a drop of water oozing in (ie through a thatched roof); 鈥橲 ur ciste-mhine l脿n: and your meal chest full. What more could you want! Happy Christmas to all my readers and listeners.

Nollaig an-diugh 鈥檚 Bealltainn a-m脿ireach: Christmas today and May Day tomorrow. This makes an observation 鈥� if Christmas day falls on, say, a Monday, the following May Day will fall on the next day of the week ie a Tuesday. But it clearly doesn鈥檛 work in all years. However, I noticed another pattern 鈥� within the same calendar year, May Day and Christmas day fall on the same day of the week. Any comments from aficianados of the calendar?

听

Tha 鈥淟itir do Luchd-ionnsachaidh鈥� air a maoineachadh le MG ALBA