Get your haggis, bagpipes and tartan ready - 25 January is Burns Night!
The Scottish important national cultural day celebrates the life and work of Robert Burns, a famous poet who is known all over the world.
Burns Night is often celebrated with a Burns supper which usually includes haggis, neeps and tatties.
Haggis is like a big crumbly sausage, neeps are better known as swedes/rutabaga, and you might have guessed that tatties are potatoes!
During this supper, Burns' poetry is recited too.
Who was Robert Burns?
Affectionately known as Rabbie, Robert Burns was born on 25 January, 1759, in a village in Ayrshire in Scotland.
He was born on a farm, and as he grew up he discovered a love of reading and writing.
He published his first collection of poems in the summer of 1786, and from there published many more famous rhymes, including 'To a Mouse', 'Address to a Haggis' and 'Selkirk Grace'.
He died in 1796, aged just 37 years old.
However, he left behind a huge legacy, and is considered to be Scotland's national poet, or to use the fancy term, bard.
A Burns supper consists of lots of different parts, and there are bits that most people include, although everyone will have their own variations.
The 'Selkirk Grace' usually opens the meal, after the host has welcomed everyone and said a few words.
The main event, the haggis, will arrive to a flurry of bagpipes, after which 'Address to a Haggis' is usually recited before it's eaten.
Other bits of Burns' poetry may get recited as the night goes on, and the Auld Lang Syne can be sung at the end.
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All the best Jan
37 comments:
He is famous. The haggis looks interesting, don't think I ever had it.
Thanks for the info. Interesting. I will stick to reading his poetry. You can eat my dinner.
No conocía esa celebración. Me gusta la receta. Te mando un beso
This is so fun! I like his poetry, not so sure about the food. :)
That looks like a terrible storm.
In Wales we celebrate Santes Dwynwen today.
I used to make a delicious vegetarian haggis by stuffing large, boiled onions with aduki beans, oats and whisky. Before I became vegetarian we used to eat haggis on New Year's Eve. It was delicious!
Don't unbatten the hatches just yet, Round Two is imminent!
Stay safe, Debbie
Ditto to what Mari said. :)
...I did a search for haggis, perhaps it's an acquired taste?
I have to give it a try. Very interesting.
I hope the storm blows over without causing any more damage. Thank you for the vegetarian slant on haggis - a food I have not tried. Nor been tempted by.
I have definitely heard of Robbie burns and his day too but I've never had the pleasure of partaking in the dinner you're showing. It looks good.
Have never had them...interesting story though.
I'll be enjoying neeps and tatties this evening, instead. I hope the storm passed you by quickly, Jan. Xx
Fabulous and informative, love this site x
Good information, Jan...thank you.
Yes he is famous,
I have read his poems.
I didn't know at all that there is his day and his dinner....
Very nice, opportunity to celebrate!
Linda comemoraão e jantar e tomara esse furacão não tenha estragado a festa! beijos, chica
Burns is a famous poet. Sounds like a fun celebration.
Take care, enjoy your day! Have a wonderful week!
I like haggis!
Very' interesting post. I knew the poet's name for the first time in a page of the Catcher in the Rye. Happy Sunday!
My heritage is Scottish and I was born in the Aberdeen Hospital in New Glasgow, Nova Scotia (New Scotland) but I have never tried haggis and don't plan to ever try it!
Hi Jan,
It is certainly a very interesting event.
This food looks very delicious.
Storm Eowyn has been terrible, I saw it on the news, I hope the storm didn't affect you too much.
Greetings from Maria
Not a fan of haggis. Love of tartan.
www.rsrue.blogspot.com
I've never had a Burns Night dinner, nor haggis. But if I was in Scotland I would try it at least.
What a coincidence. We were celebrating Australia day (26th Jan) at a friend's house and one of the guests mentioned he had gone to a Burns Night the night before and he talked about the typical food too, although they had no haggis.
Hope the storms aren't affecting you.
Interesting
Wow never heard of that dish😍I will certainly try it out💖
Hello!! I ate haggis in Scotland... I only liked it halfway.. :-))) Regards
I didn't know about this.
Fascinating and informative post ~ looks delish too ~
Wishing you good health, laughter and love in your days,
clm ~ A ShutterBug Exlores,
aka (A Creative Harbor)
I've never had haggis or neeps. In New England, where Bill grew up, neeps were called turnips. Ever since I met him, he has talked about his mother cooking turnips and how he hated them. I always knew turnips as the white bulbs that are shaped like large radishes and have a purple blush at the stem end, so I was confused when he said his mother's turnips were an orange mash. It's only been within the past 15 years or so that I understood the dialect issue and what he had eaten--LOL
I might skip the haggis, try the swede, and just eat the tatties.
Interesting post about that Scottish famous poet, Burns.
Happy Burns Night! I was working on Saturday night so didn't so anything for it! :-D
I like a good Burns Supper, though with a veggie haggis rather than a traditional one.
don't know much about Burns night but I hope you enjoyed it!
I don't think I have heard of that night, so sorry to hear about the storms going through the northern part, those high winds can really do bad damage, we have been having our share or high winds.
I had heard of this meal prayer by Robert Burns but didn't know it was also called the Selkirk Grace. However, haggis is something I'm not in a hurry to try.
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