Posted on 01/23/2015 9:27:25 PM PST by Beowulf9
http://metro.co.uk/2015/01/23/10-reasons-edinburgh-is-the-best-place-to-celebrate-burns-night-5029499/
(Excerpt) Read more at metro.co.uk ...
Didn’t know there was a Burns night.
Me, either. Does England have a Shakespeare night?
We’re celebrating Burns Night tomorrow at the Ports of Call in San Pedro, Calif., on Los Angeles Harbor. The festivities include a presentation of the haggis, which is accompanied by bagpipers and guarded by swordsmen as it is brought in. The MC then reads Burns’ “Ode to a Haggis,” a poem which makes the case that haggis is essentially health food.
During the dinner that follows, the haggis is passed around to each table. The meal is followed by Scottish country dancing.
Sounds like great fun except for the part about eating haggis.
I once went to a Burns Night celebration that had a lower than expected turnout, so the MC had an extra haggis and gave it to me. Man, was I lucky. I had haggis for the next week or so.
Been to Edinbrugh with my brother...he ate the haggis and I didn’t. Couldn’t pay me to eat that. Its like chitlins!
If one consumes enough scotch, I suppose almost anything can start to look edible, including haggis.
There’s a reason why they’re generally paired together, scotch and haggis. Preferably the scotch first, and in sufficient quantity to impair both the taste buds and beter judgement. Haggis is still a damn sight better than lutefisk, though.
CC
Is there for honest Poverty
That hings his head, an’ a’ that;
The coward slave-we pass him by,
We dare be poor for a’ that!
For a’ that, an’ a’ that.
Our toils obscure an’ a’ that,
The rank is but the guinea’s stamp,
The Man’s the gowd for a’ that.
What though on hamely fare we dine,
Wear hoddin grey, an’ a that;
Gie fools their silks, and knaves their wine;
A Man’s a Man for a’ that:
For a’ that, and a’ that,
Their tinsel show, an’ a’ that;
The honest man, tho’ e’er sae poor,
Is king o’ men for a’ that.
Ye see yon birkie, ca’d a lord,
Wha struts, an’ stares, an’ a’ that;
Tho’ hundreds worship at his word,
He’s but a coof for a’ that:
For a’ that, an’ a’ that,
His ribband, star, an’ a’ that:
The man o’ independent mind
He looks an’ laughs at a’ that.
A prince can mak a belted knight,
A marquis, duke, an’ a’ that;
But an honest man’s abon his might,
Gude faith, he maunna fa’ that!
For a’ that, an’ a’ that,
Their dignities an’ a’ that;
The pith o’ sense, an’ pride o’ worth,
Are higher rank than a’ that.
Then let us pray that come it may,
(As come it will for a’ that,)
That Sense and Worth, o’er a’ the earth,
Shall bear the gree, an’ a’ that.
For a’ that, an’ a’ that,
It’s coming yet for a’ that,
That Man to Man, the world o’er,
Shall brothers be for a’ that.
My hometown of La Crosse, Wis. has had a Burns night for close to forty years. I used to work with a woman whose father was a Scottish immigrant. She was all about all things Scottish.
“Excellent”; Monty Burns
LaCrosse has it all. I went to Octoberfest there, in the 80's while it was still wild. Wife is a UWL grad.
And as the haggis is stabbed the reader of the poem recites “Ah, reekin’!” Haggis, food worthy of a poem, a piper escort, armed guards, and expressions of nausea from those who’ve never tried it.
I freaking LOVE Haggis!! I eat it straight out of the can! With eggs, tacos, nips and tatties....I love the stuff. Its kind of expensive round here though...
The family was less than impressed with my “build & boil your own haggis bar” idea. Maybe next year.
For those of you who are celebrating Burns Night, enjoy a wee dram and please, please enjoy your haggis responsibly.
I really appreciated this posting of one of his poems. Thank you:)
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