day twenty five - burns night
Tonight is Burns Night. A time honoured Scottish tradition of bagpipes, haggis with tatties and neeps, whiskey, toasts and rousing recitations of the works of the greatest of all Scottish poets, the National Bard, Bard of Ayrshire, the Ploughman Poet, Robert ‘Rabbie’ Burns (25 January 1759 – 21 July 1796).
I had a very low key version just by myself. Instead of bagpipes, I played the chanter (a training bagpipe - and I played it in equal measures, both briefly and dreadfully), avoided haggis, toasted the great man by myself (with some spectacular single malt whiskies from my quaiche), and read though some of his works.
While I would dearly love to attend a ‘proper’ Burns Supper in the future, it seemed a lovely way to celebrate a culture that is so much a part of me, and yet, not one that I was surrounded by growing up.
There was something simple about it. Something uncomplicated and without guilt or misgivings, and a culture, celebrating something beautiful, and coming together as one.
Kilt of the Day - Ross Modern Hunting Tartan
Soundtrack of the Day - The dulcet tones of Robbie Burns’ poetry being recited over the sound of a wee dram and the pipes.
Link of the Day - The Complete Works of Robbie Burns
