It was Robert Burns’ birthday on January 25th and Scots celebrate it with a Burns supper. This is fast becoming one of my favourite annual events, perhaps because it doesn’t have the same heavy expectations that come with Christmas. We celebrated it a bit late because the 25th fell on Monday this year and we’re both so busy with work that we had our supper last night. We celebrate it with a vegetarian haggis, whisky, and poetry.
My friend’s son recited Tam O’Shanter which is a very long and difficult Robert Burns poem. He did a terrific job.
Ben and I cheated and read our poems.
Ben took some funny photos of me declaiming.
My friend made an amazing Scottish dessert called a cranachan. It is typically made with raspberries but it’s the wrong season for raspberries so she used orange. It was delicious!
Elizabeth played the Skye Boat Song on the violin for us.
And there was whisky for everyone’s tastes.
Robert Burns is loved in Scotland and millions of people around the world sing the lyrics to one of his poems every year but probably don’t know they were written by Robert Burns. The poem seems apt right now when so many of us haven’t seen loved ones for a long time. It’s called Auld Lang Syne and was written by Robert Burns in 1788.
Auld Lang Syne
Should auld acquaintance be forgot,
And never brought to mind?
Should auld acquaintance be forgot,
And auld lang syne!
Chorus
For auld lang syne, my dear,
For auld lang syne,
We’ll tak a cup o’ kindness yet,
For auld lang syne.
And surely ye’ll be your pint stoup!
And surely I’ll be mine!
And we’ll take a cup o’ kindness yet,
For auld lang syne.
Chorus
We twa hae run about the braes,
And pou’d the gowans fine;
But we’ve wander’d mony a weary fit,
Sin’ auld lang syne.
Chorus
We twa hae paidl’d in the burn,
Frae morning sun till dine;
But seas between us braid hae roar’d
Sin’ auld lang syne.
Chorus
And there’s a hand, my trusty fiere!
And gie’s a hand o thine!
And we’ll tak a right gude-willie-waught,
For auld lang syne.
rachel.blog 
I liked the plaid outfits and table runner. I didn’t know RB wrote Auld Lang Syne. (one of the ignorant millions)
Thank you. I love tartan and have collected quite number of tartan things over the years.
They look comfortable
What a wonderful evening of togetherness.
My favourite whiskies at the moment are Laphroiag and Wholly Smoke, which is a from small batch company. Have you heard of it? I like the smoky/peaty tasting ones the best.
Yes Laphroaig I’ve definitely heard of. That’s famous that one and Ben’s favourite. I’m not so fond of the peaty whiskys.
Is a burn like a river?
Yes, that’s right although I think it’s more a stream than a river.
Lovely post. Time to (re)read “Of Mice and Men”?
Thanks. I’ve never read it. Perhaps I should.