A gift given at New Year or as a token of good luck, or the first money received in business on a given day.
From Old Norse 'handsal' meaning 'to hand over' (hand + sale), originally a New Year's custom where gifts ensured good fortune for the coming year.
Handsel survives in Scottish tradition as the New Year's gift exchange, and the word explains why getting 'good luck' for your business was literally about the first transaction—it set the tone for all that followed.
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