Whether in a formal Burns Supper club setting, or just toasting with a dram at home, Burns’ Night gives the whole country a chance to reflect on our contribution to the world. Traditions of that night still exist today, and from the entertainment to the cuisine, we look at the origins of those special things that mark Burns night.
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Picture: Shutterstock | Other 3rd Party Photo: Shutterstock
. The date
There were actually two potential dates for some of Burns’ contemporaries to honour him, with an informal gathering in Alloway, where Burn’s Cottage had been turned into an alehouse. | Other 3rd Party Photo: Shutterstock
. January and July celebrations
According to Oxford University, that first gathering, organised by the Ayrshire Guild of Shoemakers, took place on January 29th, which they erroneously thought to be Burns’ birthday. A later event was held in July. | Other 3rd Party Photo: wikimedia
5. The drink
As Burns’ suppers expanded in the last hundred years or so to become as much a celebration of Scottish culture and heritage, so has the drink served at Burns’ Suppers changed, with whisky (or Irn Bru) now commonplace. | Other 3rd Party Photo: Shutterstock
6. Traditional drinks
Given the time and location of the first Suppers, there’s little chance either of those drinks featured. According to historian Rab Houston, ale was more than likely served alongside wine. | Other 3rd Party Photo: Shutterstock
7. The toast
In the original suppers, the toast to the lassies were a cursory way of thanking the women who invariably served the meal but now they include a response from the ladies in the toast to the laddies response. | Other 3rd Party Photo: Shutterstock
8. Burns’ work
The earliest Immortal Memories (toasts to Burns himself) would have been more akin to dedications at a wake or memorial but now tend to be a wider reflection of Robert Burns in a modern context. | Other 3rd Party Photo: TSPL