Discover one of Scotland’s most prestigious holidays: Burns Night (January 25th).

Following the fashion of celebrating Burns’ influential life through a yummy supper and reciting his most famous poems, the Scottish Parliament crowned this annual occasion as a key cultural heritage event. It was also seen as an important way of continuously glorifying the traditional Scots language, maintaining its cultural significance in Scotland and the rest of the world! And of course, advertising the delicious national delicacies, notably haggis and Scotch whisky. 

Burns night can be celebrated in an either formal or informal setting. But the evening remains the same: 

A Burns night typically begins with the host welcoming guests whilst delivering a speech before sitting down for supper. This is followed by the “Selkirk Grace” to bless the beautiful spread of food before feasting. As guests slurp down their Scottish soup starters (typically involving a mix of broth, potato and leek), the main event of the night is being prepared: haggis. A traditional Scottish dish, haggis is a pudding made of sheep’s pluck (heart, liver and lungs) minced with onions, oatmeal, suet and spices! It may not sound all that appealing, but don’t knock it ‘till you try it! 

Once the soup is finished, in comes the haggis! With a bagpipe accompaniment or traditional Scottish music, this is the time to open your voices and widen your appetite. Once the Burns’ poem “Address to a Haggis” is recited, all may sit and enjoy their main dish with “Neeps and Tatties” (otherwise known as a side of mashed potatoes and turnips) glazed with a bit of whiskey sauce.

As for desserts, Burns night typically offers whisky trifle or oatcakes and cheese - and of course Scotch whiskey to wash it all down! To close the evening off, toasts are given by the hosts to thank Burns for his influential work and the guests for attending, while the whole room joins hands to sing along to Burns themed songs and poems, such as “Toast to the Lassies”, “Reply to the Toast of the Lassies”, and “Auld Lang Syne”.