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Wednesday 26 January 2011

A little bit about Robert Burns

Hello all!! I hope that anyone who did want to do anything for Burns night got to, and anyone who forgot or never even heard of it had a wee search online to find out...if not, fear not, i am here!! Hehe, no, not the font of all knowledge, but i can tell you about it.
Last year was the year of the Homecoming in Scotland, think of it as a kick on the bottom for getting people to appreciate their surroundings and history.  It sounds like its 'nationalistic' in the 'bad' sense of the word, but it was really an excuse for a parade and trying to help the tourist industry too.  In Aberdeen which is my nearest town we have started to have Wallace Day after William Wallace.  He was "one of Scotland's greatest national heroes and leader of the Scottish resistance forces during the first years of the long struggle to free Scotland from English rule." (Encyclopædia Britannica

And so on to Burns, he is the "national poet of Scotland, who wrote lyrics and songs in the Scottish dialect of English. He was also famous for his amours and his rebellion against orthodox religion and morality." (Encyclopædia Britannica)
He wrote many poems, stories and songs and is really well known for being an intellectual in a time where religion was super strong and orthodox.  People eat haggis, turnips and potatoes (haggis, neeps, and tatties) on his Birthday because it was his favourite meal.  The whole supper is broken up with some of these poems in between the dishes...an awful lot of dancing ensues! 

2 comments:

Bonnie said...

I am so enjoying reading about your traditions, poetry and icons. Thanks for sharing your information!

Melissa said...

ok thank you at last sheila...this was the loveliest simplest description of Burns night i have come across...
i am going back for more catching up...thank you from a very avid loving book reader...

oh to be a librarian-!!!

melissa xx