Meal Monday
| Meal Monday | |
|---|---|
| Observed by | Ancient Scottish Universities |
| Type | Academic |
| Date | Second Monday in February |
| 2023 date | February 13 |
| 2024 date | February 12 |
| 2025 date | February 10 |
| 2026 date | February 9 |
| Frequency | annual |
Meal Monday (also known as Oatmeal Monday
During the 17th century, Scottish university students lived in very basic accommodation and were required to bring their own fuel, firewood or peat, to maintain a fire.[2] Their diet was meagre too, largely consisting of oatmeal, which they would make into porridge. This lifestyle would remain typical until the late 19th century. The Rev. James Sharp noted that as a student at the University of Edinburgh, "the liberal arts, sciences and theology were cultivated on oatmeal, with an occasional glass of beer on a Saturday night."[3]
As the students' country homes or farms were some distance from the city universities, an occasional long weekend was scheduled to permit them to replenish their supplies.[4][5] Originally, and until as recently as 1885, these Meal Mondays would occur regularly; the University of Edinburgh had one on the first Monday of every month. However, by 1896 [4] Edinburgh established just one official holiday, on the second Monday in February.[3]
Meal Monday remained widely observed in Scotland during the late 19th and 20th century, with
References
- ISBN 1-904919-20-0
- ^ Printing in Scotland 1507-1947 Archived 2006-02-28 at the Wayback Machine, The Scottish Printing Archival Trust, Retrieved 12 October 2007
- ^ a b Laurence Hutton, Literary Landmarks of the Scottish Universities, G. P. Putnam's Sons, 1904
- ^ a b Andrew Cheviot, Proverbs, Proverbial Expressions and Popular Rhymes of Scotland, Alexander Gardner, Publisher, 1896
- ^ Alexander Morgan, Scottish University Studies, The Journal of Higher Education, Vol. 5, No. 6, 1934, pp. 344-346
- ^ Helen M Munro, Some Recent Notes and Recollections of Queen Margaret College Life, in The Book of the Jubilee, J. MacLehose and Sons, 1901
- ^ Robin Cameron, Graham Bird, Obituary: Professor Robert Cross, The Independent, 7 October 2000
- ^ Alexander McCall Smith, My life in a single bite, Observer Food Monthly, 20 August 2006
- ^ General Information - Public Holidays, University of Aberdeen, retrieved 12 October 2007
- ^ Public Holiday Dates, University of Glasgow, retrieved 12 October 2007
- ^ Semester Dates, University of Edinburgh, retrieved 12 October 2007
- ^ Holiday Entitlement - 1 September to 31 August each year[permanent dead link], University of St. Andrews, retrieved 12 October 2007