Sc. Obs. exc. Shetl. dial. Also 5–6 vphaly (6 -ye) da(y), 6 ouphalliday, uphaldy; 6 vphelly, 9 uphellie, Shetl. uphelya, -hellia (day), -helly-a. [f. UP adv.2 12 a (see quot. 1884) + haliday HOLIDAY. Also with omission of -day in uphelly even, night, and in mod. Shetl. forms, in which the final -a may stand for all adj.]
1. The festival of the Epiphany (Jan., 6, Twelfthday), as the end of the Christmas holidays.
In quot. 1884 the reckoning is by a combination of Old and New Style.
1478. Acta Dom. Conc. (1839), 20/1. Þe lordis continewis þe mater to þe morne efter vphalyday nixt tocum.
1501. Acc. Ld. High Treas. Scot., II. 77. The vj day of Januar, Uphalyday, to the Kingis offerand, thre Franch crounes.
1535. Burgh Rec. Edinb. (1871), II. 71. Evin sang in the haly dayes of Yule, New Yeir day, and Vphaly day.
1588. A. King, in Cath. Tractates (S.T.S.), 175. Vphaliday when Christ vas reueled first to the gentiles.
1609. Skene, Reg. Maj, Burrow Lawes, 135. Ane decreit given … vpon Mononday, after Vphaliday.
1884. Gd. Words, 747. Uphelya, the twenty-fourth day after Yule, and that on which the Holy or holidays are supposed to be ‘up.’
b. So Uphalimass in the same sense.
1532. Acc. Ld. High Treas. Scotl., VI. 39. For the doune putting of thare bassyngis at New Ȝear Daye, Uphalymes and Pasche.
1556. Burgh Rec. Edinb. (1871), II. 260. The festuall dayis of Yule, New-yeir-mes, and Vphellymes.
2. Uphali(day) even, the eve of the Epiphany; uphaly night, the night of Jan. 6.
1506. Acc. Ld. High Treas. Scot., III. 178. The fift day [of January], Uphaldy evin, to the men that brocht the sensouris.
1582. Rec. Elgin (1903), I. 164. That scho in na times to cum sall ring bessingis, brassin nor irn morteris,… within this burgh upon Vphelly ewin.
1881. S. R. Macphail, Relig. Ho. Pluscardyn, xix. 155. The thirteenth night o’ Eel [= Yule] was called ‘uphellie nicht.’
