7 Traditions And Customs Only Glasgow People Can Understand

With their tartan and unique dialects, it’s clear that the Scots are very loyal to a wide range of traditions. Some are very old, while others aren’t that old. Find out about some of the traditions and customs that only Glaswegians can understand, from how to eat after a night out to Scottish rites of passage.

The Must-Do Scran Pilgrimage After a Night Out

Finding a place to eat (usually a chippy) in the early morning hours after a night of dancing is a must for Glaswegians and all Scots. It doesn’t matter if it’s a “munchy box” (a pizza box filled with a delicious mix of all things deep-fried), chips and cheese, haggis, naan bread, or a deep-fried Mars Bar, the best bite is always the one after a skate. The best part of the night is always the scran run, which happens after a social gathering.

Putting Easter eggs down a hill

Scots think it’s a normal Easter tradition to throw hard-boiled eggs down a hill, until they meet someone from another country who has never heard of this happening. No matter what, at Easter, Scots from all over the country gather on a hill or somewhere with a slight slope to roll eggs. The eggs are hard-boiled ahead of time, and kids often use paint to decorate them. This ritual is for the whole family and is meant to show how the stone was moved on the day Jesus rose from the dead.

The Salt Versus Sauce Argument

The salt and sauce debate is a long-running fight that might never end. In general, people in Glasgow put salt and maybe some tomato sauce on their chips, while people in Edinburgh put salt and brown chippy sauce on their chips. In other words, putting salt and ketchup on a chip shop meal is such a part of the culture in Glasgow that it can never be stopped. In short, a man from Glasgow tried to sue a fast food restaurant in Edinburgh for charging more for ketchup. The unhappy customer said that this was unfair to people from Glasgow. The Chippy owner said that ketchup shouldn’t be on a chippy at all, if it were up to him.

Celebrations for the Chinese New Year

Because there are a lot of Chinese people in Glasgow (Charing Cross and Garnethill are like Scotland’s Chinatowns), the Chinese New Year is celebrated in a big way there. The different celebrations are an important part of the Scottish festival calendar. They include parties, gatherings, ceremonies, traditional dress, and food feasts.

Putting Cones on Statues

As silly as it may seem, the Scots like to put cones on the heads of many statues. Glasgow, on the other hand, is the most famous place in Scotland for this strange cultural ritual. Without the traffic cone on his head, the Duke of Wellington equestrian statue would not be as famous or noble as he is now. The council tried to take it down and make the statue bigger to stop such shenanigans. But, sadly, the people of Glasgow worked together through campaigns, petitions, and marches until they were the ones in charge. Keep that traffic cone!

When something exciting happens, the taps go off.

Scots, especially Glaswegians, like to take their taps aff in any weather (tops off). On a pure baltic day, it’s as common to see shirtless Glaswegians walking around as it is for their favorite football team to score a goal. To make this more clear, when the other team wins, no one takes their tap off.

Burns Suppers

Scots from all over the country get together on January 25 to honor Rabbie Burns, who is known as Scotland’s national poet. Burns suppers are a big social event with a lot of tartan, poetry, songs, whisky, toasts, and Scottish foods like haggis, shortbread, Cranachan, and cock-a-leekie soup. In Glasgow, you don’t have to go far to find some kind of Burns party.

Topic: 7 Traditions And Customs Only Glasgow People Can Understand

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By: Travel Pixy