On January 25, Scotland (along with Scots and Scots-loving people around the world) celebrates its most-loved poet, Robert Burns. Burns was a pretty important guy, preserving Scottish culture at a time when British rulers were outlawing many traditions. It’s thanks to Burns that many of my favourite folk tunes are still being played in Edinburgh’s pubs! So last night we rounded up a group of international folk to toast Burns and celebrate him through food, drink, song and lots of tartan!
I have to start off by saying that this year was a grand departure from Burns Nights of my past. My last year living in Scotland, the occasion somehow passed me by (to my great shame and disappointment). Last year, I dragged a bunch of my Californian friends – and thankfully one fellow Edinburgh alum – to Oakland’s tiny Commonwealth Pub and bullied them into eating haggis with me in a vague approximation of the real thing. I think I managed a few lines of the Address to a Haggis before their mortification shut me up, but they were good sports!
This year, the party was organized by a Scottish friend who, as she said last night, “grew up on Burns.” We talked about his womanizing, his love of nature, and his politics. We toasted with whisky and had a spectacular time. Poems were read and songs were sung, haggis was eaten. Still, one of the best traditions of the night is the Toast to the Lassies and the ensuing Reply.
The basic premise is that one of the men in the group toasts the lassies, letting us know some of his views on the women present. There were plenty of jokes and our resident actor delivered the toast so of course it was very enthusiastic. Our hostess did the reply, enlightening us all on what makes a Scottish man – some great laughs and photos came out of this one as we of course had to wonder what the laddies were wearing under their kilts!
All in all, I continue to be struck by how lucky I am to have so many great and talented friends in my life. Between the cooking, poetry recitals, singing and photography (not to mention the laughs), the people are really what made the evening special.
International Development...Internationally 