Burns Supper

Burns night

Every year on Robert Burns birthday, the 25^th January, people around the world come together to celebrate his life and work.  Burns’ poetry is known and loved in all corners of the world, from Shanghai to Sydney, Rio to Moscow.  With the exception of Queen Victoria and Christopher Columbus, Burns has more statues dedicated to him around the world than any other non-religious figure.  He has had fans among the great and the good, President Abraham Lincoln, Bob Dylan and Michael Jackson among them!

 This year, Burns celebrations around the world include:

• Burns Supper hosted by the Shanghai Scottish Societies - 23 January, Shanghai China
• Clans, Pipes & Drums Burns Supper and Dance - 24 January, Brisbane Australia
• Auckland Robert Burns Association's Burns Day Picnic - 24 January, Auckland New Zealand
• The Saint Andrew Society of Western Australia Burns Supper - 25 January, Perth Australia
• 8th Annual Burns Supper, hosted by the Scottish Government EU Office at the UK Ambassador's Residence - 26 January, Brussels Belgium
• Annual Burns Concert at Scotland House - 27 January, Brussels Belgium
• Burns Supper hosted by the Beijing Scottish Societies - 31 January, Beijing China

 Scotland.org recorded a very special version of Auld Lang Syne, featuring performances from people around the world.  More than 1200 people took part and it just goes to show the enduring appeal of Robert Burns work.  

 Burns Supper Running Order (mainly from the bbc website)

• Piping in the guests

A big-time Burns Night calls for a piper to welcome guests. If you don't want all that baggage, some traditional music will do nicely. For more formal events, the audience should stand to welcome arriving guests: the piper plays until the high table is ready to be seated, at which point a round of applause is due. At a more egalitarian gathering - with no high table - the chair can simply bang on the table to draw attention to the start of the evening's proceedings.

• Chairman's welcome

The Chair (host/organiser) warmly welcomes and introduces the assembled guests and the evening's entertainment.

• The Selkirk Grace

A short but important prayer read to usher in the meal, The Selkirk Grace is also known as Burns's Grace at Kirkcudbright. Although the text is often printed in English, it is usually recited in Scots.

                        Some hae meat and canna eat,

                        And some wad eat that want it,

                        But we hae meat and we can eat,

                        And sae the Lord be thankit.

Piping in the haggis

• Guests should normally stand to welcome the dinner's star attraction, which should be delivered on a silver platter by a procession comprising the chef, the piper and the person who will address the Haggis. A whisky-bearer should also arrive to ensure the toasts are well lubricated.

During the procession, guests clap in time to the music until the Haggis reaches its destination at the table. The music stops and everyone is seated in anticipation of the address To a Haggis.

• Address to the haggis

The honoured reader now seizes their moment of glory by offering a fluent and entertaining rendition of To a Haggis. The reader should have his knife poised at the ready. On cue (His knife see Rustic-labour dight), he cuts the casing along its length, making sure to spill out some of the tasty gore within (trenching its gushing entrails).

Warning: it is wise to have a small cut made in the haggis skin before it is piped in. Instances are recorded of top table guests being scalded by flying pieces of haggis when enthusiastic reciters omitted this precaution! Alternatively, the distribution of bits of haggis about the assembled company is regarded in some quarters as a part of the fun...

The recital ends with the reader raising the haggis in triumph during the final line Gie her a haggis!, which the guests greet with rapturous applause.

• Toast to the haggis

Prompted by the speaker, the audience now joins in the toast to the haggis. Raise a glass and shout: The haggis! Then it's time to serve the main course with its traditional companions, neeps and tatties. In larger events, the piper leads a procession carrying the opened haggis out to the kitchen for serving; audience members should clap as the procession departs.

• The meal

Served with some suitable background music, the sumptuous Bill o' Fare includes:-

• Starter - Traditional cock-a-leekie soup;

• Main course - Haggis, neeps & tatties (Haggis wi' bashit neeps an' champit tatties);

• Sweet - Clootie Dumpling (a pudding prepared in a linen cloth or cloot) or Typsy Laird (a Scottish sherry trifle);

• Cheeseboard with bannocks (oatcakes) and tea/coffee.

Variations do exist: beef lovers can serve the haggis, neeps & tatties as a starter with roast beef or steak pie as the main dish. Vegetarians can of course choose vegetarian haggis, while pescatarians could opt for a seafood main course such as Cullen Skink.

• The drink

Liberal lashings of wine or ale should be served with dinner and it's often customary to douse the haggis with a splash of whisky sauce, which, with true Scots understatement, is neat whisky.

After the meal, it's time for connoisseurs to compare notes on the wonderful selection of malts served by the generous chair.

• The first entertainment

The nervous first entertainer follows immediately after the meal. Often it will be a singer or musician performing Burns songs such as:-

• My Luve is Like a Red Red Rose;
• Rantin', Rovin' Robin;
• John Anderson, my jo; or
• Ae Fond Kiss, and Then We Sever.

Alternatively it could be a moving recital of a Burns poem, with perennial preference for:-

• Tam o' Shanter;
• Holy Willie's Prayer;
• To a Louse;
• Address to the Unco Guid; or
• For a' that and a' that.
• 
  
• The immortal memory

The keynote speaker takes the stage to deliver a spell-binding oratoration on the life of Robert Burns: his literary genius, his politics, his highs and lows, his human frailty and - most importantly - his nationalism. The speech must bridge the dangerous chasm between serious intent and sparkling wit, painting a colourful picture of Scotland's beloved Bard.

The speaker concludes with a heart-felt toast: To the Immortal Memory of Robert Burns!

• The second entertainment

The chair introduces more celebration of Burns' work, preferably a poem or song to complement the earlier entertainment.

• Toast to the Lassies

The humorous highlight of any Burns Night comes in this toast, which is designed to praise the role of women in the world today. This should be done by selective quotation from Burns's works and should build towards a positive note. Particular reference to those present makes for a more meaningful toast. 

The toast concludes: To the Lassies!

• The final entertainment

The final course of the evening's entertainment comprises more Burns readings.

• Reply to the Toast to the Lassies

Revenge for the women present as they get their chance to reply.

In 2016 Jo Clifford became the first transgender woman to make a public Reply from the Lassies, at a Burns supper in Govan, the guests included Nicola Sturgeon.  You can enjoy her truly excellent speech here.

• Vote of thanks

The chair now climbs to his potentially unsteady feet to thank everyone who has contributed to a wonderful evening and to suggest that taxis will arrive shortly.

• Auld Lang Syne

The chair closes the proceedings by inviting guests to stand and belt out a rousing rendition of Auld Lang Syne. The company joins hands and sings as one, having made sure to brush up on those difficult later lines.  

 Our Burns Supper!

Our Burns supper was a lot of fun! Mary was an able Master of Ceremonies.  I cooked, read the Address to the Haggis and later on read Kate o’ Shanter’s Tale (bleeping all the rude bits!).

   Iona helped with decorations, buying our ingredients and cooking.  She also “piped” us into our supper with her guitar.  During the evening we performed our verses from The Twa Dogs and she also sang a song of her own.

We listened to Nicola Sturgeon give The Immortal Memory speech on YouTube.

 Natasha sang the Selkirk grace beautifully and led us all in singing Auld Lang Syne to end our evening.

Andy gave an address to the Lassies, complete with cheesy Burns jokes.

 Robert walks into a pub one evening, the landlord says “you’re bard!”

 Boris Johnson is being shown around a London hospital.  Towards the end of the visit, he is shown into a ward with a number people with no obvious signs of injury or disease.

He goes to greet the first patient and the chap replies: "Fair fa' your honest sonsie face, Great chieftain e' 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."

Boris, being somewhat confused (easily done) goes to the next patient and greets him.
The patient replies: "Some hae meat, and canna eat, and some wad eat that want it, but we hae meat and can eat, and sae the Lord be thankit."

The third starts rattling off: "Wee sleekit, cow'rin, tim'rous beastie, O, what a panic's in thy breastie! Thou need na start awa sae hasty, wi bickering brattle! I wad be laith to rin an chase thee, wi murdering pattle!"
Boris turns to the doctor and asks: "Is this mental ward?"

"No" the doctor replies, "It's the Burns unit."

Teresa gave a very funny Reply from the Lassies, with only a little bit of gentle mocking of the smell, looks and size of your average Scottish chap.

 We toasted with beer, irn bru and very cheap whisky.  I’m sure Robert would have approved though as we were together as a family and enjoying ourselves.