Haggis, neeps and tatties; everything you need to know about Burns night
By Rachel Scott
Keeping traditions alive is challenging. It’s easy for a staple of a nation’s culture to turn from a respectable celebration to just another night out about the town. Take St. Paddy’s day, or Boxing Day- holidays with a significant heritage that have become just another excuse to drink and frolic. The words “Burns night” perhaps brings to mind ideas of a mid-winter festival celebrating Scottish culture with traditional foods, good drink, and maybe some of us go as far as reciting poetry. With Burns night approaching shortly on the 25th January, I thought it would be fitting to delve into the history of this celebration, digging beyond the toast to a departed poet and a few pints.
Backtracking to Robert Burns; why we celebrate him and what he means as a national literature icon:
It’s fascinating to learn about the rich traditions of Burns night. However, to celebrate them it is also important to have some understanding of the life and works of Burns. Being born into a family of low economic status, Burns spent his childhood helping his father, a tenant farmer on the land. It comes as no surprise that many of his works represented the common working man, and the realities of rural life. Combining his love of the land and his influences taken from classical poets such as Homer and Ovid, Burns indulges in poems of appreciation for the beauty of the natural world. The satirical element to Burns’ work may be attributable to the influences of the Restoration Period writer John Milton. Satirising social hierarchy is a prominent feature in Burns’ work with poems such as “To a louse”, 1786. This poem visualises Burns’ disillusionment with the upper classes’ preoccupation with physical appearance; through the metaphor of a louse on a woman’s bonnet. Burns’ works are intended to make the listener reflect on the flawed aspects of class systems, the glamorization of the common folk, the fleetingness of the human condition, pride for Scottish nationality, and his own personal reflections and attitudes towards love.
Some of Burns’ most notable works include:
- To a mouse 1785; a poem reflecting the unpredictability and vulnerability of human and animal life alike. Burns writes about the accidental destruction of a mouse’s nest whilst farming and the abstract meanings it conveys in regards to the human condition. The famous line ‘The best-laid plans of mice and men often go awry’ which has inspired many works such as John Steinbeck’s “Of Mice And Men” comes from this poem.
- The Jolly Beggars 1785; a poem which centralises on the injustices experienced by the lower classes, as narrated through a group of beggars in a tavern.
- A Red Red Rose 1794; a poem about the enduring nature of love which is comparable to a beautiful flower.
The Burns night celebrations:
Fun fact, 21st July 1801 marks the first Burns supper for the five-year anniversary of Burns’ death as it was thought that was his birthday. Wrong. Burns’ birthday was the 25th January, which is now the date that we celebrate Burns night. The original celebration was held at Burns cottage in Greenock, Scotland. What began as an informal celebration of the life of Robert Burns with the consumption of Haggis and Scotch, soon turned into a nationwide and organised event. Burns clubs (created to uphold the memory of Burns) as well as universities such as St Andrews and its societies, all began facilitating these dinners. The beginning of the feast is marked by traditional Scottish music, a bagpiper if available, greeting the guests. Below is the Selkirk Grace which was recited before the meal began:
Some hae meat and canna eat,
And some wad eat that want it;
But we hae meat, and we can eat,
And sae the Lord be thankit.
Haggis, consisting of a sheep’s stomach, liver and heart prepared with oatmeal, is served with potatoes and turnips- neeps and tatties. Scotch whiskey is also indulged in at this occasion. Burns famously wrote a poem called “Address to a haggis” 1786, explaining the culture of eating haggis whilst celebrating his life.
Recitation of poems and the immortal memory toast:
Important for setting the tone for the rest of the night, the immortal memory toast typically gives a brief overview of the life of Robert Burns, his works, and what they aimed to achieve. A selection of Burns most famous and influential poems are recited, including “Ae fond kiss” and “A red, red rose’’.
Modernising haggis:
Burns night not only celebrates the life of Robert Burns but also reminds Scotsmen and women of their heritage, aiming to inspire the younger generations to be proud of their national history. In modern times, Burns night is a more generalised celebration of Scottish heritage, and at that appears to be more of a social gathering than a cultural evening. Hopefully with the above knowledge in mind, more of us can indulge in the traditions of the evening, and come to understand Burns’ cultural significance.
