Burn's night

How far afield is it honoured?

[peewhy]

I'm in England and have no Scottish blood but going to a Burn's night bash for a haggis and a wee dram or two.

Will you partake? if so where are you?

[BeeDeeDubbleU]

Talking about whisky, this is Burns's take on this in the poem "John Barleycorn" (whisky is often referred to as John Barleycorn in Scotland as a result of this poem).

<snip>

[edited by: lawman at 2:05 pm (utc) on Jan. 22, 2006]
[edit reason] Sorry, No Poems Per BT [/edit]

[peewhy]

Our Burns Night Party on Friday consisted of several 'tipsy' people reading Scottish poems; The story of the Whale in the River Thames had just broken, unbeknown to the chap reading a poem about The Famous Tay Whale. Everyone was laughing as his poem unfolded, thinking this man is a genius, find such as topical poem ... he genuinely hadn't heard about the Famous Whale in the Thames (Which has sadly died during the 'rescue')

<snip>

[edited by: lawman at 2:05 pm (utc) on Jan. 22, 2006]
[edit reason] Sorry, No Poems Per BT [/edit]

[Visit Thailand]

If anyone from the sun/news of the world reads WebmasterWorld you may just get a call and an offer about that post )

lol if you are referring to me then it would be even jucier if I said she is in line for the throne (of England) but quite a way down.........

[Leosghost]

That narrows the field down a bit ..your stick mail must be buzzing ;)

[BeeDeeDubbleU]

The poem about the whale was written by William Topaz McGonagall, another Scottish "poet" from Dundee.

[taynet.co.uk...]

[peewhy]

On the UK News today, the British Government is warning us against eating excessive haggis.

They have put it into the same category as Turkey Twizzlers and Chicken Nuggets!

Apparantly eating Haggis more than twice a week will harm us.

I have a haggis between four of us, once per year.

They are worried about one individual eating 100 whole haggis (haggi) per year?

[grandpa]

I have a haggis between four of us, once per year.

Enjoy some for me while you're at it.. any amount seems a health risk. ;)

All in all, I'm glad I did ask.

[BeeDeeDubbleU]

Robert Burns
25 January 1759 - 21 July 1796

Today is the actual birthday folks, have a dram on me :)

[peewhy]

Health risk? everything is a health risk. Essentially a real haggis has no added flavour or preservatives, even the skin is natural.

You'll never no until you try it!

[BeeDeeDubbleU]

Well, we did the traditional thing on Wednesday evening. We had haggis with turnip and mashed potatoes. I also put in some carrots and leeks ... excellent!

As Burns said in his address to the haggis ...

"Ye Pow'rs, wha mak mankind your care,
And dish them out their bill o fare,
Auld Scotland wants nae skinking ware
That jaups in luggies:
But, if ye wish her gratefu prayer,
Gie her a Haggis".

Translation
You powers, who make mankind your care,
And dish them out their bill of fare,
Old Scotland wants no watery stuff,
Splashing around in small bowls;
But if you wish her grateful prayer,
Give her [Scotland] a Haggis!

Incidentally I note that the Google logo has a Mozart theme today. What happened to Burns on Wednesday? Obviously they haven't heard of him in Mountain view.

This is a pity because Burns would have approved of Google. He actually had problems with Search himself. In 1786 he wrote ...

"I rarely hit where I aim, and if I want anything, I am almost sure never to find it where I seek it. For instance, if my penknife is needed, I pull out twenty things - a plough-wedge, a horse nail, an old letter, or a tattered rhyme, in short, everything but my penknife; and that, at last, after a painful, fruitless search, will be found in the unsuspected corner of an unsuspected pocket, as if on purpose thrust out of the way."

[TravelSite]

For me the interesting aspect is the change in language. When Burns was alive we spoke both "Scots" and "English" and his poems, written in both, were instantly accessible to everyone of all classes.

Now we speak English and most normal down to earth Scots have difficulty in understanding his poems - which is a shame. Still - it makes trying to recite them fun!

I also like Robert Burns due to his sense of humour - writing poems dedicated to mice and haggis (a very common down to earth meal back in his day)! I suspect had he been alive today the poem would have been about the Scottish Fish Supper!

For the record I believe that Rabbie Burns did not write Auld Lang Sign. The song was a folk song that he wrote down and put in print (though I believe he did add two or so verses). Nonetheless it was Rabbie Burns who made sure that it was kept alive - it would probably have been lost without him.

[BeeDeeDubbleU]

This is correct. He did not actually write the song and he did add a couple of verses but he never claimed that he had written it.

[electricscotland.com...]

[olwen]

Burns night is celebrated in Dunedin, New Zealand which is at the opposite side of the earth.

Robert Burns' nephew was one of the founders of Dunedin.

[cityofdunedin.com...]