The 25th of January marks the birth of Scottish poet Robert Burns. As their national poet the Scots celebrate his life and work with a special supper on this day – a tradition dating back to 1801, five years after his death, when the first Burns Night was held by his friends in his cottage in Ayrshire. The very first Burns Night was held in July, the month of his death, but the following year it was decided by the newly-established Burns Club in Greenock to celebrate his birth rather than death.
Burns Night is now celebrated throughout the world by the Scottish diaspora or those with a love of his poetry, and involves the serving of haggis with neeps and tatties and other traditional Scottish dishes, washed down with generous drams of whisky, while listening to songs and recitations of his poetry.
Burns Night dinners involve a strict set of guidelines, but more informal commemorative suppers can be as relaxed as you like. The following rituals can be adopted or adapted as desired.
As the guests arrive the bagpipes are played as they assemble for their first dram of whisky. If you don’t have a live piper for the occasion, a recording of a bagpipe rendition of Burns’ A Man’s a Man for a’That will do.
The host welcomes the guests, before asking them to take their seats at the dining table for the Selkirk Grace – a prayer of thanksgiving attributed to Burns, who was said to have given it at a dinner hosted by the Earl of Selkirk. However, the grace was known long before this and known as the Galloway or Covenanters’ Grace.
Some hae meat an canna eat,
And some wad eat that want it;
But we hae meat, and we can eat,
And sae the Lord be thankit
Following the grace a traditional Scottish soup is served. This can be Scotch Broth, Cullen Skink or Cock-a-leekie.
The highlight of the meal is the entrance of the Haggis usually brought in by the cook led by a piper playing A Man’s a Man for A’ That or The Star O’Robbie Burns. Again, this can be a recording. The guests all stand at this point and remain standing until the end of the Address. The Address to a Haggis is then read or recited by the host:
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 lang's my airm.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,
[The host sharpens a carving knife on this line]
An' cut you up wi' ready slicht,
[The host cuts open the haggis on this line]
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-swall'd kytes belyve,
Are bent like drums;
Then auld Guidman, maist like to rive,
Bethankithums.
Is there that o're 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 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 wallie nieve a blade,
He'll mak it whistle;
An' legs an' arms, an' heads will sned,
Like taps o' thristle.
Ye Pow'rs 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!
The guests toast the haggis with whisky and sit down to eat.
Following the meal the following speeches are made.
The first speech is made by the host who remembers the life and work of Burns and may recite a Burns poem or sing a Burns song. A toast is then made to his ‘immortal memory’.
Traditionally this is a speech made by a male guest to the women who have prepared the meal followed by a toast to their health. However, in recent times this has become a general and often light-hearted speech about the female guests.
A female guest now makes a reply to the previous speech and a reflection on men in general.
