Burns Night
The first Burns supper was held by nine friends in Ayrshire, probably in 1801, and it was meant to be a one-off. Now it's a global night of haggis and verse.
Published
Quick Facts
- Date
- 25 January, the anniversary of Robert Burns's birth in 1759
- First supper
- Held by Burns's friends at Burns Cottage, Alloway, in the years after his death in 1796, probably 1801
- Main dish
- Haggis, neeps and tatties
- The poem
- Address to a Haggis, written by Burns in the 1780s
- Signature song
- Auld Lang Syne, sung at the close, with crossed hands at the final verse
- Traditional toasts
- The Immortal Memory, the Toast to the Lassies and the Reply to the Toast to the Lassies
- Spin-off
- Rabbie's night is also held by Scottish societies across the world, from Canada to Australia
- Burns Clubs
- The Greenock Burns Club, founded in 1801, is often cited as the oldest
The supper that was only meant to happen once
Burns died in Dumfries in July 1796, aged just 37. A few years later, a group of his friends gathered in Alloway, Ayrshire, to remember him over a meal. They are generally thought to have met in 1801, and they had a simple menu: haggis, a sheep's head and some speeches. The night went so well that they decided to do it again. The date they settled on was his birthday, 25 January, and the tradition began to spread. Burns clubs sprang up across Scotland, and the supper became a fixture long before the poet's reputation had been fully polished by the Victorians. Today it is celebrated in homes, pubs, village halls and grand hotels on the night itself or around it.
How the evening actually runs
A traditional Burns supper follows a loose script. The host welcomes the guests and says the Selkirk Grace, a short verse often credited to Burns that begins "Some hae meat and canna eat". Then comes the high point: the haggis is carried in, usually to the sound of bagpipes. Everyone stands. The Address to a Haggis is recited, and at the line about the "trenching blade" the speaker cuts the haggis open with a dramatic flourish. Then there is a toast, with whisky, naturally. After the meal come the speeches. The Immortal Memory is the main one, a tribute to the poet's life and work. The Toast to the Lassies was originally a thank-you to the women who had prepared the food. It is now a cheeky, affectionate roast of women in general, and it gets a witty reply from the lassies. Songs and poems follow, and the night ends with everyone standing in a circle for Auld Lang Syne.
Why you cross your arms for Auld Lang Syne
Burns did not invent Auld Lang Syne. He collected and reworked an old Scots song, and sent it to be published in the 1790s. The title means roughly "old long since", or times gone by. The crossing of arms is not part of the original and tends to be done at the last verse. Guests join hands with the people either side of them, and then move in and out towards the middle of the circle. The song has since travelled far beyond Burns Night and is sung at New Year around the world. For many Scots, though, 25 January is the song's real home.
Haggis, rivals and vegetarians
Haggis is made from sheep's offal mixed with oatmeal, onion, suet and spices, traditionally cooked in a stomach. Burns called it the "great chieftain o' the puddin-race", and the poem has kept it central to the celebration. It arrives with neeps (swede or turnip) and tatties (potatoes). The swede, rather than the turnip, is the root usually served in Scotland, which sometimes confuses visitors from England, where "turnip" means a different vegetable. Modern Burns suppers have adapted. Vegetarian haggis is now widely available, and plenty of tables serve it. Cranachan, a dessert of raspberries, cream, oats and whisky, often finishes the meal. Some hosts also like to serve Cock-a-leekie soup as a starter.
A poet who belongs to everyone
Burns wrote in Scots, English and a mixture of both, and his subjects ranged from mice and lice to love and radical politics. To a Mouse and Tam o' Shanter are among his best known, and A Man's A Man for A' That is often read as a statement of equality. That range explains why his night has travelled so well. Scottish emigrants carried it overseas, and Burns societies were formed in the United States, Canada, Australia and New Zealand. In Russia, Burns was widely translated and admired in the twentieth century. Supper hosts do not need to be formal. Some are poetry recitals, some are ceilidhs, and some are simply a plate of haggis and a dram among friends. In Scotland, it is a night that feels slightly like a national party, held in the middle of winter.
Notable people
- Robert Burns
- Jean Armour
- Hugh Blair
Keep exploring
Robert Burns
Published
He was days from sailing to Jamaica when his first book sold out and changed his mind. Burns went on to write the song the world sings at midnight on New Year's Eve.
.jpg){kind=link}
Morris Dancing
Published
Grown adults strap bells to their shins, whack sticks together and dance in car parks, all to keep a tradition alive that Shakespeare's clown once danced 100 miles.
.jpg){kind=link}
Notting Hill Carnival
Published
Europe's biggest street party began as an indoor event in a London town hall in 1959, started by a woman who fought for Black Britons' dignity.