 Burns' Night - 25 January, In memory of Scotland's national bard |
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Catriona  |
Posted: 05-Jan-2004, 04:26 AM
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Banned Member
Group: Celtic Nation
Posts: 69
Joined: 25-Oct-2002
Zodiac: Birch
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Every year, on 25 January, we celebrate the wit and humour of the bard with a Burns' Supper. The supper always follows (approximately!) the following pattern.
A copious amount of whisky is usually involved in this ceremony!
The chairperson (usually a man, although it is becoming more common for women to be given that honour..... ) makes a few opening remarks.
Then the Selkirk Grace is said
'Some hae meat and cannot eat
Some cannot eat that want it
But we hae meat and we can eat
Sae let the Laird be thankit'
Then everyone stands up to clap in the Piping of the Haggis. A piper plays whilst the chef brings in the haggis which is ceremoniously pierced with a sgian dhu. This is usually served with chappit tatties and neeps.
Then the Address to the Haggis is recited.
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 of a grace
As lang's 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 dight,
An cut you up wi ready slight,
Trenching your gushing entrails bright,
Like onie ditch;
And then, O what a glorious sight,
Warm-reekin, rich!
Then, horn for horn, they stretch an strive:
Deil tak the hindmost, on they drive,
Till a' their weel-swall'd kytes belyve
Are bent like drums;
The auld Guidman, maist like to rive,
'Bethankit' hums.
Is there that owre his French ragout,
Or olio that wad staw a sow,
Or fricassee wad mak her spew
Wi perfect sconner,
Looks down wi sneering, scornfu view
On sic a dinner?
Poor devil! see him owre his trash,
As feckless as a wither'd 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 walie nieve a blade,
He'll make it whissle;
An legs an arms, an heads will sned,
Like taps o thrissle.
Ye Pow'rs, wha mak mankind your care,
And dish them out their bill o fare,
Auld Scotland wants nae skinking ware
That jaups in luggies:
But, if ye wish her gratefu prayer,
Gie her a Haggis!
A pudding is then served - usually something like Tipsy Laird (a Scottish version of an English fruit trifle)
'The Immortal Memory' - a speech by one of the company.
Then the 'Toast to the Lassies' is made by one of the men present. It is replied to by the 'Toast to the Men'. Both are meant to be light-hearted and funny.
Cheeses and oatcakes (all Scottish cheeses, of course!)
Then drambuie and whisky and coffee
The evening is rounded off by further poems and songs from Scotland's Bard - and/or a few country dances!
The last thing is the singing of Auld Lang Syne. The word 'Syne' should use a soft 's' as in symbol, not a Z sound. Here's the words of the second verse, which very few people bother to learn!
And there's a hand my trusty friere!
And gie's a hand of thine!
And we'll tak a right good wullie waught
For auld lang syne.
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| Catriona |
Posted: 10-Jan-2004, 05:26 PM
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Banned Member
Group: Celtic Nation
Posts: 69
Joined: 25-Oct-2002
Zodiac: Birch
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I'm with you, AD... it drives my husband mad. We arrive on some Greek island (for instance) - he scopes out the villa and the pool, then decides where his favourite taverna is located for that visit..... and expects me just to sunbathe and eat and drink.... Now, I love the latter two options, but can leave the first one almost totally alone. I am a red-haired, very fair skinned Scot.... I burn at even medium temps... Suppose that's why our summer's suit me best of all!
He says I've dragged him round more ancient monuments than he ever believed existed! Cyprus, Rhodes, Corfu, Crete - to name a few of the Greek islands. And Tuscany, Puglia, Sicily, Malta to name a few more..... 
Ah yes, just call me a culture vulture!
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| Aon_Daonna |
Posted: 11-Jan-2004, 07:17 AM
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The Wolf Lady
Group: Celtic Nation
Posts: 2,966
Joined: 06-Apr-2002
Zodiac: Ivy
Realm: Fife, Scotland
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I think Rose, travelling is a bit easier here, I mean Germany alone fits a couple of time into the states...
My mother was always very much interested in showing us kids different countries and cultures, in our usual 2 week summer holiday we spent an average of 1 or 2 days on the beach (if there was one).
We drove to our holiday destinations (and, no, I've never really been to spain, just one weekend on my uncles finca on mallorca) instead of taking a plane because we couldn't really afford it. My parents always saved up for a whole year to be able to finance a holiday in the summer.
But we do have the advantage of having relatives all over Europe, that gives you little free holidays from time to time plus visiting your loved ones. I always loved staying with my relatives in Morbihan and Fînisterre because they live so totally different from the way we do in Germany. I would love to move to France one day (Craig wouldn't mind it either, so maybe we can do that one fine day) simply because I love the way people live over there. All I want is a little house and an apple-orchard 
I'm happy that I got to know Craig because it enabled me to see the actual people of Scotland, not just the sites. I would have visited some day anyway but coming to a country where someone is waiting for you is even nicer.
If you ever come over to Europe (and that goes for all my American friends) don't just book a crash-tour all over the place. Choose a country or 2, rent a car and go exploring on your own. The internet is a great place for finding people that can tell you what to do when you are somewhere without relying on the big tourist routes.
I always loved travelling with my friends (we made a bicycle tour to the black forest once, on the bike 3 weeks but it was great fun!) or family because we didn't rely on the typical tourist stuff but went exploring on our own and like that we met the most interesting people and saw the nicest things that ordinary tourists don't usually see.
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