ladbible homepage
ladbible homepage
  • Home
  • News
    • UK
    • US
    • World
    • Ireland
    • Australia
    • Science
    • Crime
    • Weather
  • Entertainment
    • Celebrity
    • TV
    • Film
    • Music
    • Gaming
    • Netflix
    • Disney
  • Sport
  • Technology
  • Travel
  • Lifestyle
  • Money
  • Originals
    • FFS PRODUCTIONS
    • Say Maaate to a Mate
    • Daily Ladness
    • UOKM8?
    • FreeToBe
    • Citizen Reef
  • Videos
  • Advertise
  • Terms
  • Privacy & Cookies
  • License Our Content
  • About Us & Contact
  • Jobs
  • Latest
  • Archive
  • Topics A-Z
  • Authors
Facebook
Instagram
X
Threads
Snapchat
TikTok
YouTube
Submit Your Content Here
  • GAMINGbible
  • LADbible Group
  • UNILAD
  • SPORTbible
  • Tyla
  • FOODbible
  • UNILAD Tech
Reason why people living on Britain's most remote island haven't celebrated Christmas yet
Home>News>UK News
Published 17:14 27 Dec 2024 GMT

Reason why people living on Britain's most remote island haven't celebrated Christmas yet

They're not the only ones that are celebrating Christmas later than the rest of the world

Joshua Nair

Joshua Nair

google discoverFollow us on Google Discover

Great Britain's most remote community still hasn't celebrated Christmas, for one huge reason.

It's only been two days since the 25 December, though that is when most of the world celebrated Christmas.

However, other countries such as Russia, Egypt and India celebrate the day on different dates as part of their cultures and religions.

But people inhabiting this British island will also celebrate the New Year a fortnight after the rest of the UK.

Advert

The remote island celebrates Christmas in the new year (Getty Stock Photo)
The remote island celebrates Christmas in the new year (Getty Stock Photo)

The island is just three and a half miles in length, with a width of two and a half miles, as well as a population of just 30, working out to just three people per kilometre when it comes to population density.

It's called Foula, and it's located in Shetland, Scotland.

A whole 16 miles from mainland Shetland and 100 miles north of mainland Scotland, it's on the same latitude as southern Greenland.

The community only got running water in 1982 and electricity by 1984, via a diesel generator.

To get here in the first place, you'd need to take a ferry from Walls in Shetland's mainland for two hours, or a flight from Tingwall for 15 minutes.

Best known for its wildlife and for being used for 1937 film The Edge of the World, Foula also has the second highest sea cliff in the UK.

But why do they celebrate Christmas in what would be our first week of January?

Flying to Foula is the quickest way to get there (Jeff J Mitchell/Getty Images)
Flying to Foula is the quickest way to get there (Jeff J Mitchell/Getty Images)

It's all to do with the ancient calendar that they follow, called the Julian calendar.

The 'feast days' of the Julian calendar, known as Yule, is on 6 January, while their Newerday (New Year) is on 13 January.

Foula's inhabitants boast strong Norse traditions, and the islanders often spend Christmas in one house to exchange gifts, much like the rest of us do with our families.

Most of the world uses the Gregorian calendar, named after Pope Gregory XIII, who first introduced it in 1582, with Britain starting to follow the calendar in 1752.

This was due to the fact that the Gregorian calendar only has a 0.002 percent correction on the length of a year, though the difference in days went from Julian being 13 days behind to 12 in 1900, when the Julian calendar didn't have a leap year in 1900.

They aren't the only ones that use the Julian calendar in the 21st century, though.

Squint hard enough and you'll see that Foula is purple  - those following Julian calendars celebrated Christmas on 7 January this year (Getty Stock Photo)
Squint hard enough and you'll see that Foula is purple - those following Julian calendars celebrated Christmas on 7 January this year (Getty Stock Photo)

The Julian is used by the Berbers of the Maghreb in the Berber calendar, while Ukrainian Orthodox Christians celebrated Christmas with everyone else for the first time in 2023, despite using the Julian calendar.

Russia now follow the Gregorian calendar though, as most of their residents do.

When interviewed by the DailyMail on the difference in days, a Foula resident explained: "It is not just part of our tradition but the world's. It is everybody else who changed, not us.

"We are not unique, other parts of the world such as areas of Russia, still celebrate the old calendar."

Featured Image Credit: Jeff J Mitchell/Getty Images / Getty stock

Topics: Christmas, History, UK News

Joshua Nair
Joshua Nair

Joshua Nair is a journalist at LADbible. Born in Malaysia and raised in Dubai, he has always been interested in writing about a range of subjects, from sports to trending pop culture news. After graduating from Oxford Brookes University with a BA in Media, Journalism and Publishing, he got a job freelance writing for SPORTbible while working in marketing before landing a full-time role at LADbible. Unfortunately, he's unhealthily obsessed with Manchester United, which takes its toll on his mental and physical health. Daily.

X

@joshnair10

Recommended reads

Life of Jurassic Park child star now after she quit Hollywood and launched new careerBarry Brecheisen/Getty ImagesJeremy Clarkson forced to apologise to Who Wants to Be a Millionaire contestantITVDenmark issues update after Christian Eriksen collapses on pitch for second timeUlrik Pedersen/NurPhoto via Getty ImagesBlue star Lee Ryan shares 'debilitating' experience on stage after autism diagnosisPedro Becerra/Redferns

Advert

  • Man who visited 'world's most infected island' has heartbreaking reaction to chilling discovery
  • People are just discovering real reason why there are no skeletons in Titanic wreckage
  • Britain's most tattooed man can't bypass new age check rules
  • Official Christmas number one announced for 2025

Choose your content:

an hour ago
3 hours ago
13 hours ago
17 hours ago
  • Ulrik Pedersen/NurPhoto via Getty Images
    an hour ago

    Denmark issues update after Christian Eriksen collapses on pitch for second time

    Players were left crying on the pitch after the shocking scenes

    News
  • JUAN MABROMATA/AFP via Getty Images
    3 hours ago

    Madeleine McCann police handed 'bombshell' new files linked to suspect Christian Brueckner

    British investigators have reportedly received a dossier containing fresh information relating to the main suspect

    News
  • Jamie Squire/Getty Images
    13 hours ago

    Nine injured after shooting near England team's World Cup base in Kansas City

    Police are investigating after multiple people were injured in a shooting less than four miles from England's base

    News
  • Getty Stock
    17 hours ago

    Landmark study makes ‘remarkable’ finding about Mounjaro side effects

    It could be the biggest benefit of the GLP-1 drugs yet

    News