23 JAN 2018: With 25 January just around the corner, a long held Scottish tradition, ’Burns Night’ celebrates the life and work of Robert Burns, widely seen as the national poet of Scotland. While Burns Night is not a national holiday, it is arguably more widely celebrated than St. Andrew’s Day, Scotland’s national day.

Robert Burns was born on 25 January 1759 in Alloway, Scotland to a poor family, though his father ensured that he received a good education and Burns’ interest in reading fuelled his poetic output.

While earning a living as a farm worker, he started composing poetry as he worked. His first collection was published in 1786 and became an instant success, and Burns was seen as a leading light in the Romantic movement.

At the young age of 37, Robert Burns died from a rheumatic condition on 21 July 1796, his funeral took place on 25 July 1796, the day that his son Maxwell was born.

The tradition of a Burns night (Burns supper) began shortly after the poet’s death, when some of his friends gathered to remember Robert and his poetry on the anniversary of his birth.

As Robert Burns gained prominence as the greatest of Scottish poets, so the tradition of honouring his work on Burns night grew in popularity.

Though they may differ in formality, Burns evenings generally follow a similar pattern. A meal with haggis is served.

For those not in the know, Haggis is a Scottish dish made from Sheep’s heart, liver, and lungs minced with onion oatmeal, suet and spices. It was traditionally encased in the animal’s stomach, though artificial casings are now more common.

If this sounds disgusting – it is to some – though others, this writer included, find it quite tasty.

A second key element is the drinking of a good Scottish single malt whiskey in honour of the poet, and a ditto to the tastiness of that!.

Finally, the activities of the evening are framed within his poetry. When the haggis is carved, ‘To a Haggis’ is recited, with its famous line, “Great chieftain o’ the pudding race”. Before the meal another of Burns’ poems, the Selkirk Grace is read.

An interesting aside … in 2009, Scottish TV held a public vote on who was “The Greatest Scot” of all time. Robert Burns won, beating William Wallace of ‘Braveheart’ fame.

‘Burns Night’ ends aptly with “Auld Lang Syne”. Robert Burns was the first to write down this old Scottish folk song, and its popularity is now global as no New Year’s Eve party is complete without its rendition.