Meal Monday

Meal Monday, sometimes also referred as oatmeal Monday, was an academic holiday to permit the Scottish university students of the 17th century to replenish their supplies of food and fuel from their distanced located country homes. Since the students of the ancient Scottish universities lived a compromised lifestyle, their meager diet comprised oatmeal, which they further cooked into the porridge form. The Meal Monday was declared on every second Monday of the month of February. Although the Scottish universities no more grant official Meal Monday holidays, the University of St. Andrews still declares the day as a statutory holiday, especially for the manual staff.
 

Traditional oatmeal Monday recipes
Since the ancient Scottish university students lead a basic lifestyle, their diet could not comprise more than oatmeal. The oatmeal cooked on the Meal Monday was absolutely basic with no additions, except for oats and milk. Oatmeal with an occasional mug of beer, were the traditional food for the day.  

Significance of the oatmeal Monday food
As per the historians, the students of Scottish universities in the 17th century lived a very humble life. They were required to arrange for their own fuel, peat, faggots in order to maintain fire for cooking. All they could manage to cook with the meager cooking arrangements was oatmeal.  Meal Monday was observed as an academic holiday through the entire 19th and 20th century, especially with Aberdeen and Glasglow Universities. The Meal Monday holiday was essentially scheduled to allow the students to fetch their supplies of fuels and food from homes located at far distances.