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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