Burns Night
Published Sun, Jan 18 2009 1:46 AM
Technorati Tags: Food and Drink, Cool Stuff
Tonight (or was it last night), we celebrated Burns Night with the Plateau Scottish Country Dancers and the Tacoma Scots Pipe Band. Burns night is actually supposed to be celebrated on January 25th, the anniversary of the birth of Scotland's national bard, Robert Burns, but January 17th seems to have been close enough. Naturally enough, it's a chance to dress up in semi-formal attire. Most of my kilt outfit has arrived, except the sporran and the kilt itself, so I'm still wearing a borrowed kilt. Sidney wanted in on the picture too, so there she is.
One of the more interesting things about Burns night is the opportunity to eat Haggis, and of course to listen to poetry by Robert Burns. Before the meal, the haggis is presented. It is escorted by the chef, a piper and a pair of escorts. Then comes the recital of the “Address To The Haggis,” during which the haggis is cut open.
Transcribed below is Robert Burns' “Address To The Haggis” as found on About.com.
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 ye 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 strech an' strive:
Deil tak the hindmost! on they drive,
Till a' their weel-swall'd kytes belyve,
Are bent like drums;
Then 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' bluidy 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!
This was my first time eating haggis. I must say I was pleasantly surprised. It turned out to be quite tasty, if a bit dry. I think I'll be trying it again at the next Highland Games.
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David responded with:
 | I've never had the real thing, but I used to make a mock haggis, until m y Wonder Woman put a stop to that (instead of traditional materials it was based on calf liver, which I find scrumptious in almost any form, save raw or live in the calf, but of which she's less fond).
BTW, I just cleaned up an old post (from 2005), "Address To A Haggis"--not written for a Burns Day, just a recap of a meal I've prepared for a Burns Day repast in the... past. |
Angel responded with:
 | look at u all dolled up!..lol..interesting piece..oh and btw..the link back here in my comment section doesnt work..ya may want to tinker with that?:) |
Stanford Matthews responded with:
 | charnina, menudo and now haggis, I don't think so. My days of partaking in curious ethnic foods may be done. I understand the value of not wasting what can be eaten but...
So Perri, does wearing a kilt limit one's range of motion or present any challenges with etiquette? |
Perri Nelson responded with: Wearing the kilt
 | No, your range of motion isn't limited in the kilt. If anything, you've got a better range of motion. As for etiquette, I guess it depends on what's under the kilt. You wear a kilt pin to give it some weight, and the sporran also weighs it down a bit, so modesty shouldn't be an issue. That is, unless you do a really fast turn. |
Stanford Matthews responded with:
| Clothing in general presents comfort issues if nothing else. But everytime I see someone wearing a kilt my first thought is I would be a little uncomfortable worrying about some embarrassing moment I would cause myself. But the weight thing is kinda reassuring. Of course my real problem with it is probably the pranksters in whose company I am frequently. |
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