January 25th 1759 - 21st July 1796
Tonight is Burns night, where Scottish families will sit around the table, eating loads of Haggis (if we're lucky with the kill!) neeps and tatties. This tradition carries on all over the world, too. Tonight my daughter, who lives in London, is having a Burns meal for family and friends there. Traditionally, the meal is washed down with a tot/lot of whisky, and poems and songs of our famous, talented, womanising, philandering, bad boy bard, are performed until one passes out. Below is the first verse of the Selkirk Grace, read before the haggis's skin is split. Prestigious celebrations see this in with an actual piper, highland dress and a sword.
No matter where in the world I may be (couch), I always celebrate oor Rabbie. And if you haven't read any of his works, please do. Any translations needed, just give me a nudge. And if anybody is brave enough to try haggis for yourself, the recipe is there, too. Is it any wonder Scotsmen wear kilts...?!
Happy
Burns
Night
To
You......!
3 comments:
Fancy that, Rabbie Burns birthday. and there we were in Dunedin only a week ago hearing about the burns connection in that city which loves its Scottish heritage. I have a photo of Rabbie with a seagull on his head - he's gone gray from what the seagulls leave as their gift of homage.
Lots of wee scots in New Zealand. Short people with broad shoulders and even broader thighs and calves - built for walking in the wilds(or tramping as the locals refer to it). Not a slice of haggis in sight but plenty of lamb and hoggett.
We did a tour of the wee city with a woman who did a good reading of piece written in lowland dialect (I think it was a local poet - Denis Glover. Dunedin is lowland Scot she told us. No Gaelic.
Hoggett sounds just as nice as haggis - and just a bit more easier to kill...lol
Have a SUPER weekend!
Post a Comment