BURNS NIGHT

Burns Night is annually celebrated in Scotland on or around January 25th. It commemorates the life of the poet Robert Burns. The day also celebrates Burns' contribution to Scottish culture.

Robert Burns was born in Alloway, Scotland, on January 25th, 1759. He died in Dumfries, Scotland, on July 21st, 1796. He was a poet and wrote many poems, lyrics and other pieces that addressed political and civil issues. Perhaps his best-known work is « Auld Lang Syne », which is sung at New Year’s Eve celebrations in Scotland, parts of the United Kingdom, and other places around the world. Burns is one of Scotland's important cultural icons and is well known among Scottish expats or descendants around the world. He is also known as « Rabbie Burns », « The Bard of Ayshire », « Scotland's favorite son », and in Scotland «The Bard ».

Robert Burns acquaintances held the first Burns supper on July 21st, the anniversary of his death, in Ayshire, Scotland, in the late 1700s. The date was later changed to January 25th, which marks his birthday. Burns suppers are now held by people and organizations with Scottish origins worldwide, particularly in Canada, Australia, England, and the United States.

Why such a fascination for this poet? Because he knew, by writing in the local dialect and not only in English, how to make his people vibrate. Charismatic and lyrical, he collected popular songs, integrating them into his own texts. The country is so fond of him that his poem Scots Wha Hae is still regarded as the second national anthem. The lyrics were written by Burns in 1773, in the form of a speech given by Robert the Bruce before the Battle of Bannockburn in 1314, where Scotland maintained its sovereignty from the Kingdom of England.

On this date, for more than two centuries, people have gathered around the supper of Burns. The meal is punctuated by very precise traditions: speeches, graces, ceremonial parades... Poems, dances, songs and bagpipes are very present. Burns Night is an observance in the United Kingdom.

What do people do?

Many people and organizations hold a Burns supper on or around Burns Night. These may be informal or formal, only for men, only for women, or for both genders. Formal events include toasts and readings of pieces written by Robert Burns. Ceremonies during a Burns Night supper vary according to the group organizing the event and the location.

The Burns light, a procession of lanterns, animates the town of Dumfries, in the south west of Scotland, where the poet is buried. The night sky of Dumfries then lights up with a pyrotechnic show.,

What are the symbols?

The Scottish flag is often displayed at Burns Night celebrations. It is known as the Saltire and consists of a rectangular blue background with thick white diagonal bars. The diagonals form a cross that represents Saint Andrew, the patron saint of Scotland.

At Burns Night events, many men wear kilts and women may wear shawls, skirts or dresses made from their family tartan. A tartan was originally a woollen cloth with a distinctive pattern made by using colors of weft and warp when weaving. Particular patterns and combinations of colors were associated with different areas, clans and families. Tartan patterns are now printed on various materials.

Many foods are associated with Burns Night. Haggis and Whisky are the main ones. Whisky is the traditional drink. The evening centers on the entrance of the haggis (a type of sausage prepared in a sheep's stomach) on a large platter to then sound of a piper playing bagpipes. When the haggis is on the table, the host reads the “Address to a Haggis”. This is an ode that Robert Burns wrote to the Scottish dish. At the end of the reading, the haggis is ceremonially sliced into two pieces and the meal begins.

Each Burns supper is unique, but generally goes like this: to begin, everyone comes together, the host says a few words, everyone sits down and the slekirk grace is said. For the meal, the starter is served, the haggis is introduced to the sound of the bagpipes, the hosts recite address to a haggis, everyone tries to health the haggis and the main meal is served followed by the dessert. After the meal, the first recitation of Burns takes place, the unforgettable remembrance (the main speech in homage to Burns) is pronounced, the second recitation of Burns takes place. It is followed by a toast to the ladies, then a response to the toast to the ladies, before the last recitation of Burns is pronounced.

To finish the evening, the guests thank the participants, everyone gets up and sings Auld Lang Syne arm in arm and hand in hand when the words “here is my hand my dear friend” is pronounced.