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Scottish National Dictionary (1700–)

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First published 1956 (SND Vol. IV). Includes material from the 1976 and 2005 supplements.
This entry has not been updated since then but may contain minor corrections and revisions.

FASTERN'S EEN, n. comb. Also fastern-, fastren('s)-, fasten('s)-; fasting's- (Sc. 1750 W. McFarlane Geneal. Coll. (S.H.S.) II. 138), festern('s)- (ne.Sc. 1952), festerns-even (Kcd. 1700 Black Bk. Kcd. (ed. Anderson 1843) 119), festereven (Abd. 1829 A. Cruickshank Poems 34), fosterneen (Cai.⁷ 1950). The form fasten alone is found (Sh. 1866 Edm. Gl.) and the variant comb. fastern's night (Sc. 1805 Scott Last Minstrel (1821) iv. vi.). Shrove Tuesday; the day or evening before Lent. Gen.Sc. Also in n.Eng. dial.Sc. 1700 G. Turnbull Diary (S.H.S. 1893) 391:
About two in the morning, being fastens Eve morning, was my wife brought to bed of a daughter.Lnk. c.1779 D. Graham Writings (1883) II. 136:
Bra haly days and days o. meikle meat, Fastrens-e'en and Yule days.Ayr. 1786 Burns To J. Lapraik vii.:
On Fasteneen we had a rockin, To ca' the crack and weave our stockin.Sc. 1816 Scott Black Dwarf vi.:
I staid away from the Ba'spiel on Fastern's E'en.ne.Sc. 1847 R. Chambers Pop. Rhymes 143:
First comes Candlemas, and then the new moon, The next Tuesday after is Fasten's e'en.Bwk. 1897 R. M. Calder Poems 113:
When lads frae cottage an' frae ha' Met ilka year to play the ba', An' haud their Fasten's Een.Rxb. 1920 Kelso Chron. (20 Feb.) 3:
Shrove Tuesday, or Fasten E'en, as it is better known in the Border district, is still celebrated in various places by games of football and hand-ball.Abd. 1929 J. Alexander Mains & Hilly 26:
Fastern's Even wi' its beef-brose, an' bannocks.wm.Sc. 1980 Anna Blair The Rowan on the Ridge 58:
There was the affair of the dominie's cock-fight on Fastern's Eve.

Comb.: fasteneven hen, a hen paid on Shrove Tuesday as part of a rent. Kcb. 1700 Kirkcudbright Sheriff Ct. Deeds II. 830:
The yearly payment of £60, half a stone of "tallound," 12 chickens, and 1 fasteneven hen.