Burns Night or Burns Nicht.

You have to give it to the Scots that celebrating a poet as part of a national night of celebration is some thing that should be admired. After all you do not get a Shakespeare night of Wordsworth night here in England and more the pity. Every where you find expatriate Scots you will probably find a burns night , and my research tells me that it is a very strong tradition in New Zealand’s Dunedin , which Burns nephew Thomas Burns was the founding farther. A Burns supper is a celebration of his life and poetry and in a mix of tradition food and the words of the bard

The first suppers were held in Ayrshire at the end of the 18th century to start with on the anniversary of his death but then held on his birthday. Now what you are expecting is to have Haggis the most traditional of Scottish dishes.  And do not forget the Scotch whisky and the recitation of Burns'

You gather and have a few drinks and then the host will say a few words and declare the evening open . After that you have the to be seated and it is time for grace, the

Selkirk Grace.

Some hae meat and canna eat,

And some wad eat that want it;

But we hae meat, and we can eat,

And sae let the Lord be thankit.

Then the supper starts normally with soup to start, scotch borth or Cocl-a-leekie then you move to the main event the entrance of the haggis. The haggis is carried in on a large dish , normally by the cook and presented at the host table . As this happens, a piper plays the bagpipes and the host or a chosen guest of honour prepares to address the haggis.

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 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 dicht,
An' cut you up wi' ready slicht,
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,
"Bethankit" hums.

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!

It is at the line in the third verse “ His knife see rustic Labour dicht “ the person reciting the poem draws a knifed then on the line “An' cut you up wi' ready slicht,” strikes the knife in to the haggis and cuts it open form end to end .

After the poem there is a toast with scotch whiskey and you sit and enjoy the meal.  The haggis is seved with tatties and neeps , mashed potatoes and mashed swede. And finally you finish with a desert of cranachan or tipsy laird , oatcakes and cheese and coffee.

After the meal, there is a time for a number of speeches, the Immortal memory a speech about burns and his life.  The Appreciation the host will say a few words to thank the speaker. A toast to the lassies, given by a man , I am not sure if the original meaning to this apply as it would have been a toast to the women who would have prepared the meal, normally a toast to the health of the women present now. A reply to the toast to the lassies, a lady will reply to the toast given by a the man who gave the toast to the lassies, this can be rather interesting from my memories of the odd burns night I have been to, and if done well very funny. And finally some more toasts and speeches, thanking any one else.  In between each speech, a toast with good scotch whisky and a warm glow starts to fill you from the inside.

This then can be followed by readings of poetry and music all by Burns. Then finally the closing with the host calling for one of the guests to give a vote of thanks and then every one to stand link hands and sing Auld Lang Syne .

As dinners go the food might not be the most complicated but it is tasty, the whiskey is the king of all whiskeys as it is Scottish whiskey.  And the pure symbolism is what tradition culture and food is all about. Why we the English have never treated a poet like this might say more about us than we wish to admit.