A’ Bhliadhna Ghàidhlig
Nuair a cheannachas sinn mìosachan Gàidhlig san latha an-diugh, tha dà mhìos dheug ann le ainmean Gàidhlig, le 28 gu 31 làithean aca, gu tur co-shìnte ris a’ mhìosachan Bheurla. Ach cha robh e idir mar sin gu traidiseanta. Fiù ‘s anns an fhicheadamh lìnn bha cuid de dhaoine air an dùthaich nach biodh a’ cleachdadh ainmean Gàidhlig nam mìosan gu mionaideach mar na h-ainmean Beurla, ach a rèir ràithean na bliadhna àiteachaile no deas-ghnàthaiche.
Tha fios againn gum faca na Ceiltich – gu h-àraidh na Ceiltich Eileanach – a’ bhliadhna ann an dà phàirt – leth dorcha, fuar, a thòisich le Samhainn (timcheall air 1 den t-Samhain againne), agus leth soilleir, blàth, a thòisich le Bealltainn (timcheall air 1 den Chèitean). Dìreach mar a thòisich an latha ùr dhiubhsan aig dol-fodha na grèine, thòisich a’ bliadhna ùr leis a’ phàirt dorcha. Às an dorchadas thigheadh solas a-rithist, às an talamh fhuar lòm, le coltas marbh, thigeadh beatha, fàs agus buain. Gun an aon leth – an oidhche, an geamhradh – cha bhiodh an leth eile ann – an latha, an samradh. Chì sinn nach b’ e rud ro dhoirbh a bha aig na ciad mhiseanaraidhean Crìosdail mìneachadh dha na Ceiltich mu fhulangas, bhàs agus aiseirigh Chrìosda, no mu shlighe 
an anama bhon dorchadas chun an t-solais.
Chaidh an dà leth seo a roinn a-rithist, le ceithir làithean ceann ràithe sònraichte a’ comharrachadh toiseach nan ceithir ràithean. B’ e sin Samhainn, a tha air fhàgail dhuinn ann an Oidhche Shamhna, Halloween; Là Fèill’ Brighde anns a’ Ghearran – na bu tràithe Fèill’ Birgit, ban-dìa Cheilteach an Earraich; là Buidhe Bealltainn (‘teine geal’) sa Chèitean; agus Là Lunasdal, Lammas, ag toiseach ràithe na buain. Thug an eaglais thràth na fèilltean sin gu cofhurtail a-steach dhan chuairt bhliadhnail aice fhèin, mar eisimpleir Là Fèill’ Brighde, Lammas (‘Loaf Mass’), Samhainn mar Là nan Naomh Uile. An toiseach cha deach na làithean sin an-còmhnaidh a chomharrachadh gu mionadaich air an aon latha gach bliadhna – nam biodh an t-Earrach fadalach, mar eisimpleir, bha Là Fèill’ Brighde na b’ anmoiche a’ bhliadhna sin.
Thachair an aon rud leis na trì mìosan traidiseanta gach ràithe. Bha na mìosan ceangailte ri tachartasan nàdarrach, àiteachail no iasgaich, agus dh’fhaodhadh iad a bhith na b’ fhaide no na bu ghiorra a-rèir na h-aimsir. Bha na h-ainmean orra freagarrach dhan ràithe. ‘S e mìos nam madaidhean-allaidh a th’ anns an Fhaoilteach (bho sheann fhacal airson madaidh-allaidh), mìos fàs nan lusan òga san Ògmhios, mìos nam beathaichean reamhar san t-Sultain (sult = saill), mìos dàmhair nam fiadh a th’ anns an Dàmhair, am mìos ‘dubh’, dorcha, a th’ anns an Dùbhlachd.
Bha am mìosachan Gregòrianach ‘oifigeil’ ann cuideachd, fad lìnntean, ach mhàir e mar rud oifigeil agus cha deach a chleachdadh ro thric no ro mhionadaich air an dùthaich. Fiù ‘s san fhicheadamh lìnn dh’fhaodadh diofar a bhith ann eadar cleachdadh an fhacail ‘February’ meadhan ann an còmhradh Gàidhlig, agus an fhacail ‘an Gearran’– February airson cinn-latha oifigeil air choreigin, agus an Gearran nuair a bhiodh iad a’ bruidhinn mu chùisean àiteachail no iasgaich.
Tha tòrr a bharrachd ri ràdh mu na fèilltean fhèin, agus mu na cleachdaidhean agus na h-abairtean a tha air fhàgail dhuinn bhon mhìosachan Ghàidhlig seo, ach feumaidh sin feitheamh ri artaigil eile. Anns an eadar-àm tha mi an dòchas gum bi ràithe samhraidh àlainn, ghrìanach agus bhlàth againn uile!
The Gaelic Calendar
When we buy a Gaelic calendar nowadays, it has 12 months with Gaelic names and 28 – 31 
days, absolutely parallel to the English calendar. But traditionally this wasn’t the case at all. Even in the 20th century there were many people in the countryside who didn’t use the Gaelic names of the months in exactly the same way as the English ones, but according to the seasons of the agricultural or ritual year.
We know that the Celts, especially the Insular Celts, saw the year in two parts – the dark, cold half that began with Samhainn (around 1st November), and the bright, warm half that began with Beltane (around 1st May). Just as they held that the new day began at sunset, the new year began with the dark half. From the darkness light would come again, from the cold, bare, dead-looking ground would come life, growth and harvest. Without the one half – the night, the winter – there wouldn’t be the other half – the day, the summer. We can see that it wouldn’t be too difficult for the first missionaries to explain to the Celts about the suffering, death and resurrection of Christ, and the journey of the soul from darkness to light.
Those two halves were divided again to give 4 seasons, with a special Quarter Day marking their beginning – Samhainn, the eve of which we retain as Halloween, St Bride’s Day in February (formerly the day of Birgit, the Celtic goddess of Spring), Beltane (‘bright fire’) in May, and Lùnasdal, retained as Lammas, at the beginning of the harvest season. The early church absorbed these festivals comfortably into its own annual cycle of feast days, for example with St Bride’s and Lammas (‘loaf mass’), and Samhainn as All Saints’ Day after ‘hallow e’en’. Originally these days were not always held precisely on the same day each year; if spring were late, for example, St Bride’s Day would be held later that year.
The same thing happened with the three traditional months in each season. The months were linked to natural, farming or fishing activities, and could be longer or shorter depending on the weather. Their names were appropriate to the season. For example, am Faoilteach (approx. January) means ‘the wolf month’; an t-Ògmhios (June) means ‘the young month’ (new growth, early crops); an t-Sultain (September) means ‘the fat month’, with beasts being fattened before the winter; an Dàmhair (October) means ‘the rutting of deer’; an Dùbhlachd (December) means ‘the black month’.
The ‘official’ Gregorian calendar we use today existed too through the centuries, but it remained something official, and was not used so often or so precisely in the Gaelic-speaking countryside. 
Even in the 20th century there could be quite a difference in the use of the name ‘February’, for example, in the middle of a Gaelic conversation, and the Gaelic name ‘an Gearran’ – February for talking about some official date or other, and an Gearran when talking about farming or fishing matters.
There’s a great deal more that could be said about the festivals themselves, and the customs and expressions that have come down to us from the Gaelic calendar, but those will have to wait for another article. In the meantime I hope we all have a beautiful, sunny, warm summer season!
(Calendar by Ed Duncan, Gairloch. Mòran taing! Otherwise my own photos.)
Tha mi a’ leughadh am post seo / here I am reading this post: http://gng.acgamerica.org/2015/02/28/asapod2/
(On the American An Comunn Gàidhealach ‘s fortnightly Gaelic programme Guthan nan Gàidheal on Hard to Port Radio. First broadcast on 24.02.15. I contribute, as a sort of overseas correspondent, to the section called ‘An Saoghal Againne’ – Our World.)
