Burns Night

For over 200 years, Scots have celebrated the birth of their national poet Robert Burns with an evening full of music, poetry, food, dance, and of course, whisky. It marks the highlight of the Scottish winter social season almost everywhere in the world.

Burns Night is more or less like a second national holiday in Scotland; it is celebrated on January 25th worldwide and is often considered even more important than the official national holiday, St. Andrew’s Day. The format of Burns Night has remained largely unchanged since Burns’s death in 1796. The key is the good spirits of all participants, with cultural elements such as a ceremonial bagpipe procession, excerpts from Burns’s poems and songs, gallant toasts to the ladies and gentlemen, the well-known song “Auld Lang Syne,” and above all a festive dinner featuring traditional Scottish dishes with Burns’s “Address to a Haggis” and “whisky sauce.”

Scotland’s national poet, Robert Burns is the most famous of those who wrote in Scots (a strong dialect based on English, distinct from the original Scottish Gaelic spoken in the Highlands). Many of his works are also written in English and Scots dialect, making them accessible to a broader audience. He also wrote in standard English, with these poems often containing political or civic commentary that can be quite blunt. He is regarded as a pioneer of Romanticism and a cultural icon both in Scotland and among the Scottish diaspora worldwide. The celebration of his life and work became a near national cult in the 19th and 20th centuries, and his influence on Scottish literature continues to this day.

In addition to his own works, Burns also collected and adapted folk songs and poems from across Scotland. His poem (and song) “Auld Lang Syne” is often sung on Hogmanay (New Year’s Eve), while “Scots Wha Hae” long served as an unofficial national anthem. Other poems and songs by Burns remain well known around the world, such as “A Red, Red Rose,” “A Man’s A Man for A’ That,” “To a Louse,” “To a Mouse,” “The Battle of Sherramuir,” “Tam O’Shanter,” and “Ae Fond Kiss.” A Czech selection of his songs and ballads was translated by J. V. Sládek.

The typical course of a Burns Supper is as follows:

Piping In the Guests – bagpiper plays to welcome the guests
Chairman’s Welcome – welcoming remarks
Piping In the Haggis – procession with the haggis accompanied by bagpipes
Address To A Haggis – Ode to the Haggis
Selkirk Grace – prayer before the meal
The Meal – dinner
Immortal Memory – a short tribute to the life and legacy of Robert Burns
Poems & Songs – recitations, songs
Toast To the Lads / Lassies – playful toasts to the ladies and gentlemen
Ceilidh – dancing
Vote Of Thanks – closing thanks
Auld Lang Syne – traditional farewell