Robert Burns ~ 1759-1796
"His knife see rustic Labour dight,
An' cut you up wi' ready sleight,
Trenching your gushing entrails bright,
Like ony ditch;
And then, O what a glorious sight,
Warm-reekin’,
rich!”
(more from Address to a Haggis)
Inspired by a friend whose great, great, great, great grandfather was Robert Burns, I determined to dig deeper into the intriguing customs surrounding the celebration of his birthday. This is assuming my stomach can handle all the haggis references, but I digress.
Shortly after his death, friends continued to celebrate his birthday. The festivities began with a special guest reciting Address to a Haggis while (you guessed it!) haggis was presented amidst applause and (lots) of whisky*. Oh, what culinary delights followed: Cock-a-leekie soup, Haggis warm reeking rich wi' Champit Tatties & Bashed Neeps, Typsy Laird and A Tassie o' Coffee. Mmm--mmm! While I enjoy the poetry, I hope Burn's fans won't be insulted if "one" chooses a pint and greasy burger or salad (depending upon your New Years resolution) in lieu of centuries old tradition.
Here's to Rabbie Burns!
Amanda
*Apparently there is no "e" in Scottish whisky (my spell-check begs to differ).
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