Tattie Holidays

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A Spanish colleague asked me the other day why we have a holiday in October in Scotland. He wondered if there was some cultural or religious significance.
I explained to him that traditionally children would be given the time off school to help with the potato harvesting hence the term tattie holidays.
I then turned round to see another colleague (born and raised in Scotland) looking at me in total amazement saying that she's never heard of that before.
I am about 20 years older than her and was raised in mainly rural locations whereas she has always lived in a city but I wasn't sure which of these made the difference.
But please someone tell me this is true and not one of those things that my Mum made up and that I've always believed!

It's true. I'm heading for 40 and it wasn't about when I was young, but when my parents were - I'd say up to the 70's in some areas.

Yup, I'm in rural Angus, and we still call them tattie holidays.

Ds's slightly pretentious private school, insists on calling them mid-term.

We had tattie holidays in rural Aberdeenshire. I'm 29 but as far as I know the kids still call them that now.

I'm from Glasgow and didn't know about them when I was younger.

However, when I worked for ICI and was dealing with out factory in Dumfries, I got told all about them

You didn't imagine it. They're real.

I still call them the tattie holidays. My brothers still went tattie howkin in the late 1970s. We all used to go to the berries in the summer holidays too!

Not called that here (north lanarkshire). We also only have a week holiday whereas some places get 2 weeks

It's true. DH is from Angus so he got two weeks growing up. I'm from the West and I got one. He did howk tatties too.

I did point out to her that I'd never actually done the harvesting - just enjoyed the holidays. But glad to know I'm just old and not gullible!

Tattie holidays still here too. Although I've never howked a tattie in my life.

Yes, you're correct. We went every year when we were kids - it was hard work, but it meant we could get new bikes and larger items that mum and dad didn't have money for. still called that where I am, although I think it's dying out.

England and Wales get half term too though - my sister's kids are off this week in southern England. A week in October isn't exclusive to Scotland.

I grew up in Edinburgh and it was always the "October week" there and nothing to do with tatties ;-)

I'm early thirties and I used to dress tatties every October break

Our school newsletter even refers to them as the tattie holidays

I lived in Sutherland - we certainly had tattie holidays there. DF also told me about Mealie Monday - a day off from university to go home & get a bag of oatmeal to keep them going for the rest of the term. That would have been late 50s / early 60s. Must have eaten a whole lot of porridge...

I remember Tattie holidays in Aberdeen in the 70s.

Also the 'Trades Fortnight' where all the tradesmen, esp plumbers, builders, some shops just packed up for two weeks.

'Half term' still sounds very Mallory Towers to me.

We still call the first 2 weeks in July, the trades as DH is a gas engineer. Only heard of the tatties holidays in the last few years from friends up north.

We called them tattie holidays in Moray in the 80s/90s and some of my classmates still picked tatties. I'm in the central belt now though, and whenever I call them that, out of old habit, I get very strange looks.

Live in Moray (am English though) and it's still known as the tattie hols here.

English too, and even I know about Trades Fortnight and the Tattie Holidays.

Yep - 2 weeks' tattie holidays here in Moray and I remember going to pick tatties as a teenager. It was hell on earth backbreaking work but well paid at the time. I hated every minute.

Two weeks tattie holidays in Perth (& Fife!)

Tattie howking we called it. It was gone by the 70s. But the whole school holidays timing is set around agricultural holidays.