Tonight is Burns Night A Burns supper is a celebration of the life and poetry of the poet Robert Burns, author of many Scots poems. The suppers are normally held on or near the poets birthday, 25 January, sometimes also known as Robert Burns Day or Burns Night (Scots: Burns Nicht). Burns suppers are most common in Scotland and Northern Ireland however the evening is widley celebrated by Burns Clubs, Scottish Societies, expatriate Scots, or aficionados of Burns poetry all over the world. A particularly strong tradition of them in southern New Zealands main city Dunedin, of which Burns nephew Thomas Burns was a founding father. The first suppers were held in memoriam at Ayrshire at the end of the 18th century by Robert Burns friends on 21 July, the anniversary of his death, and have been a regular occurrence ever since. The first Burns club was founded in Greenock in 1801 by merchants born in Ayrshire, some of whom had known Burns. They held the first Burns supper on what they thought was his birthday, 29 January 1802, but in 1803 they discovered in Ayr parish records that his date of birth was 25 January 1759. Since then, suppers have been held on 25 January. Burns suppers may be formal or informal. Both typically include haggis (a traditional Scottish dish celebrated by Burns in Address to a Haggis), Scotch whisky, and the recitation of Burnss poetry. Formal dinners are hosted by organisations such as Burns clubs, the Freemasons, or St Andrews Societies and occasionally end with dancing when ladies are present. Formal suppers follow a standard format. Traditional Order of the supper: Start of the evening (piping in the guests) Hosts welcoming speech: All of the guests are seated and grace is said, usually using the Selkirk Grace, a well-known thanksgiving said before meals, using the Scots language. Although attributed to Burns, the Selkirk Grace was already known in the 17th century, as the Galloway Grace or the Covenanters Grace. It came to be called the Selkirk Grace because Burns was said to have delivered it at a dinner given by the Earl of Selkirk: Some hae meat and canna eat, And some wad eat that want it; But we hae meat, and we can eat, And sae let the Lord be thankit The supper starts with the soup course. Normally a Scottish soup such as Scotch Broth, Potato Soup or Cock-a-Leekie is served. Piping of the haggis: Everyone stands as the main course is brought in. This is always a haggis on a large dish. It is usually brought in by the cook, generally while a piper plays bagpipes and leads the way to the hosts table, where the haggis is laid down. The host, or perhaps a guest with a talent, then recites the Address to a Haggis: Fair fa your honest, sonsie face, Great chieftain o the puddin-race! Aboon them a ye tak your place, Painch, tripe, or thairm: Weel are ye wordy o a grace As langs my arm. The groaning trencher there ye fill, Your hurdies like a distant hill, Your pin wad help to mend a mill In time o need, While thro your pores the dews distil Like amber bead. His knife see rustic Labour dicht, An cut you up wi ready slicht, Trenching your gushing entrails bricht, Like ony ditch; And then, O what a glorious sicht, Warm-reekin, rich! Then, horn for horn, they stretch an strive: Deil tak the hindmaist! on they drive, Till a their weel-swalld kytes belyve, Are bent like drums; Then auld Guidman, maist like to rive, Bethankit hums. Is there that ore his French ragout Or olio that wad staw a sow, Or fricassee wad mak her spew Wi perfect scunner, Looks down wi sneering, scornfu view On sic a dinner? Poor devil! see him ower his trash, As feckless as a witherd rash, His spindle shank, a guid whip-lash, His nieve a nit; Thro bloody flood or field to dash, O how unfit! But mark the Rustic, haggis fed, The trembling earth resounds his tread. Clap in his wallie nieve a blade, Hell mak it whistle; An legs an arms, an heads will sned, Like taps o thristle. Ye Powrs wha mak mankind your care, And dish them out their bill o fare, Auld Scotland wants nae skinkin ware That jaups in luggies; But, if ye wish her gratefu prayer, Gie her a haggis! At the line His knife see rustic Labour dicht the speaker normally draws and sharpens a knife, and at the line An cut you up wi ready slicht, plunges it into the haggis and cuts it open from end to end. When done properly this ceremony is a highlight of the evening. At the end of the poem, a Scotch whisky toast will be proposed to the haggis, then the company will sit down to the meal. The haggis is traditionally served with mashed potatoes (tatties) and mashed turnips (A Scottish turnip is an English swede) (neeps). A dessert course, cheese courses, coffee, etc. may also be part of the meal. The courses normally use traditional Scottish recipes. For instance, dessert may be cranachan or Tipsy Laird (whisky trifle) followed by oatcakes and cheese, all washed down with the water of life (uisge beatha) – Scotch whisky. When the meal reaches the coffee stage various speeches and toasts are given. After the speeches there may be singing of songs by Burns and more poetry. Finally the host will call on one of the guests to give the vote of thanks, after which everyone is asked to stand, join hands, and sing Auld Lang Syne bringing the evening to an end.
Posted on: Sun, 26 Jan 2014 09:27:38 +0000
Trending Topics
Recently Viewed Topics
© 2015