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In
1801, 5 years after Robert Burns death (21st July 1796) - on the
anniversary of Robert Burns birthday, 25th
January, while visiting Ayr,
a number of non commissioned officers and privates of the Argyll Militia
went to the
cottage, at Alloway, (see below) where the famous Scottish Bard was born.
The regiments band played several airs of Burns at the cottage which had
then been used as an inn ( The King's Arms).
Burns
National Heritage Park
 Burns
National Heritage Park
Burns
Cottage, the poet’s birthplace, a world-class museum collection,
the Burns Monument, Brig O’Doon & haunted Kirk Alloway form
an enduring testament to Burns, set among the beautiful gardens
and countryside of historic Alloway
Tea-room
(June - September), Toilets, Gift-shop, Free Parking.
Admission Charges,
Adult - £5
, Concession
- £3
Opening
Times
April – September - 10am – 5.30pm,
October - March 10am - 5pm,Closed 25 & 26 December & 1 & 2 January)
Murdoch's
Lone, Alloway, Ayr KA7 4PQ
Tel: +44 (0)1292 443 700,
Fax: +44 (0)1292 441 750
Email:
info@burnsheritagepark.com
Web site: http://www.burnsheritagepark.com.
The
same year, in Greenock, the first known Burns Club was established and
they hosted the first Burns supper with friends of Burns in Ayr. This was
known as 'The Mother
Club'.
The
following year, 1802, his friends organised a supper where they read out
his poems, sung his songs, ate haggis and drunk a toast. Sources report
that this was arranged by the Reverend Hamilton
Paul, acting on behalf of
John Ballantyne, Provost of Ayr and Robert
Aitken, the lawyer, who were
friends of Burns. Most of his friends were masons.
In
1805, in Paisley, a second Burns Club was formed, Robert
Tannahill, the
town's weaver poet was secretary. This was known as 'The Daughter
Club'.
As
the tradition spread, the first few years celebrations were mistakenly
held on the 29th of January. This was due to an error in Robert Burns
biography, written by James Currie, who mistakenly recorded the wrong
birth date.
There
were also attempts to celebrate Burns night during the summer months,
however, because this was the busiest time of year for farmers it was
returned to the true birth date of the 25th.
On the centenary of his
birth in 1859. Over
900 areas in different parts of the world celebrated.
In
1885, The Burns
Federation was founded in Kilmarnock and co-coordinated the
Burns Clubs not only in Scotland but worldwide.
The
25th of January tradition soon spread and now, all over the world people
celebrate by eating the traditional supper of haggis, tatties and neeps,
and reading poems, singing songs and dancing, not forgetting the
obligatory toast of whisky to Rabbie Burns!
Burns night customs
Burns
night is celebrated on the 25th of January, around the world, to celebrate
the memory of the birth of Scottish poet Robert Burns.
The
occasion is a chance to celebrate his works and eat and drink traditional
Scottish food. The formal celebration begins with the 'Piping in the
guests'. A pipe band plays as guests are seated at their tables, guests
stand as top table guests are seated. The top table usually consists of
speaker, chairman, local minister, members of the Burns federation, civic
representative and their spouses or partners.
The
evening is then opened by a welcoming speech by the speaker or chairman or
in the form of toasts;
Toast
to Immortal Memory
It is a great honour to be
asked to propose the Immortal Memory speech and
toast. There are examples
of Immortal Memory toasts but generally it is a small talk about the
importance of Robert Burns to Scotland and how honoured Scots are to be
able to read his works. The Immortal Memory should truly inspire each
guest to want to continue reading the works of Robert Burns when they get
home, long after the honour to his memory has been said.
The Immortal Memory may be preceded or announced by a fiddler playing some
of the works of Robert Burns. This lively music can set up the Immortal
Memory speaker nicely. His speech should be about 20 - 35 minutes long. As
an example of an Immortal Memory speech the speaker may start by reciting
a few sentences of a Burns poem and then give a talk about what the Bard
meant when he wrote those words and then give its relevance to today's
society and the modern society. During this speech the speaker may talk
about aspects and achievements of Burns like being a preserver of the
Scot's language and bring his discussion to what Burns would have made of
life today
Later in the evening a member of the Committee or the Chairman should
honour the Immortal Memory speaker with an appreciation of the speech
given.
Toast
To The Lassies
A toast to the ladies is
made, in recognition of Burns' love for the lassies! It is called the
toast to the lassies and is sometimes spelt toast to the lasses. This
speech and toast should be light hearted and humorous, as an example the
speaker can point out the shortcomings of women and the ways Burns pointed
these out. The speaker should always make sure to end by being
complimentary to the lassies though. After this the speaker raises his
glass, the men in the room stand, and the speaker says "Tae The
Lassies!" and another dram of whisky is drunk.
The Toast To The Laddies
The women have an opportunity to reply to the toast of the lassies which
is humorously called the Toast Tae The Laddies! In this funny toast they
give a funny view on men talking about their various shortcomings.
Each of these speeches should not take longer than 10 minutes.
Burns Night Menu
Most Burns Suppers will consist of a large haggis being piped into the
room by a Pipe Major. The guests will usually stand during the piping of
the haggis. The haggis is carried on a gleaming silver tray usually by the
VIP guest or the chef. If carried by the guest then the chef will walk
behind the piper. Behind the chef will follow the person reciting the
address to the haggis and the whisky bearer who tops up the guests whisky
glasses for the haggis toast and offers a dram to the chef and the piper.
Toast To The Haggis
The Chairman will then invite the chef, the piper or fiddler and the
gathering to toast the haggis with a dram of whisky. The most popular
toast to the haggis is "Slainte mhath" the Gaelic toast
which is pronounced as slan je va and translates to English as Good
Health.
During the procession to the top table the guests will clap in time to the
bagpipe music.
'A man's a man for aw that'
is the most popular bagpipe tune
to pipe in the haggis. The haggis, or beastie as it is often nicknamed, is
placed at the top table. The piper will then stop playing the bagpipes and
the clapping stops. The haggis is then cut open by the speaker who will
recite some of Robert Burns' poems, usually Address
To A Haggis which extols the virtue of haggis over other
dishes. This moment of the Burns Supper is sometimes nicknamed the slaying
of the haggis. There are several key words which signify when the speaker
should cut into the haggis. So when he recites His knife see rustic
Labour dicht the haggis cutting knife is raised. As the words An'
cut you up wi' ready slicht the knife is lowered in a fast dramatic
action and the haggis is cut open. Some chefs will make a small cut at the
top of the haggis to expel the trapped air to make cutting the haggis
safer, rather than have hot haggis splatter over the top table guests.
The
haggis is then toasted, a dram of whisky being the favoured tipple. Some
pour a nip of whisky over the haggis. The supper is eaten after the Selkirk
Grace.
Haggis Neeps and Tatties
The haggis is served with neeps and tatties (turnip or swede and potatoes
known by Scottish people as chappit or champit tatties and bashit or
bashed neeps) and some chefs combine the ingredients with chives to make
the delicious dish of Clapshot.
Vegetarian haggis is often available nowadays and larger Burns Night
suppers may also serve a fish dish like salmon or steak pie made by the
local butcher. Toasts are said before, during and after the meal. The
accompanying drink is usually a dram (or three!) of whisky. The Burns
night supper menu is traditionally called The Bill of Fare in honour of
this phrase being in the poem To A
Haggis.
A Scotch
Broth Soup (also called Barley Broth) or
cock-a-leekie soup
may be
served as a starter and
Clootie
Dumpling
pudding served as a dessert. Other puddings served on a Burns
Night Bill of Fare include
Cranachan
with Raspberries or Sherry Trifle. Other names for Sherry Trifle include Tyspy
Laird and Scotch Trifle.
The more formal Burns Suppers may round off the meal with
bannocks
and
oatcakes and a selection of cheeses which may include a Scottish cream
cheese called Crowdie and the local cheese of Ayrshire that Burns would
have enjoyed, the Dunlop Cheese. Coffee and tea are then served.
Entertainment At A Burns
Night
After the supper, or between courses, speakers may entertain with musings
and anecdotes of Burns or more recitings of his work, songs and poems.
Musicians and singers will sing and perform the songs of Robert Burns such
as My Luve is Like a Red, Red Rose.
Tam O'Shanter is a common poem to
recite on Burns night, as are
The Cotter's Saturday Night
and
Holy
Willie's Prayer.
The Immortal Memory speech pays
tribute to the talent of Robert Burns.
The evening is usually rounded off with a ceilidh, the finish of this is
cued with a rendition of Auld
Lang Syne
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