Inside tiny UK island whose 30 residents STILL haven’t celebrated Christmas due to age-old tradition… – The Sun

ALTHOUGH most Brits will be packing away their Christmas decorations, the halls will still be decked on this tiny UK island.
The 30 residents living in Foula, Scotland, haven't yet sat down for their Turkey dinner or opened their presents.
Locals still abide by an age-old tradition that sees them celebrate Christmas Day nearly two weeks late.
Located 20 miles west of the Shetland Mainland, the rural island remains firmly stuck in the past – quite literally.
Foula still follows the ancient Julian calendar, which means the island is 12 days behind the rest of Britain.
Rather than adopting the Gregorian calendar alongside the UK in 1752, they continued to roll with their usual feast days.
The island's old traditions mean that Yule is celebrated on January 6 instead of December 25.
It inevitably pushes back Foula's New Year's Day too, with locals instead raising a glass on January 13.
The isolation, paired with their unique lifestyle, has allowed islanders to keep a tight grip on their strong Norse traditions.
Foula residents were the last known speakers of the Norn language, a dialect which died out in 1800.
Their historic, simple and sustainable customs are still reflected in their festive celebrations centuries later.
It means Christmas Day looks very different to what Brits have become accustomed to.
On January 6, islanders gather in one house to celebrate as well as exchange gifts and greetings with each other.
Only a handful of children – who have been forced to wait longer than the rest of the world for Santa to arrive – live there.
Local Stuart Taylor said: "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
"On the 6th, families open their presents in their own homes and then in the evening we all tend to end up in one house.
"It is the same at New Year on the 13th – we will visit each other’s houses and end up at one."
"This tradition is not going to end here. The children have been brought up to expect their main presents on the 6th."
Residents remain in adoration of their powerful heritage and are staunchly proud of their folklore, music and festivities.
The tiny island – only three and half miles long and half a mile wide – was introduced to full electricity and running water in the early 80s.
Foula, meaning "bird island" in Norse, currently has a renewable energy system backed up by diesel.
Despite its steady modernisation, the island is still lacking shops, pubs, or reliable transport links.
It is so secluded that former Church of Scotland minister Tom Macintyre had to abandon his attempts to reach Foula for one Christmas service due to terrible weather conditions.
He hosted just one wedding and one funeral on the island in his five years in charge.
And the hospitable residents never let the Reverend leave empty handed – as they would gift him lambs and baked goods.
Foula also lent itself as the filming location for the 1937 Michael Powell classic, The Edge of the World.
The island's natural beauty and remoteness proved the perfect setting to depict the depopulation of Scottish islands.
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