Saturday marks the return of one of the most important annual celebrations in Scotland: Burns Night.
As the name suggests, Burns Night is a holiday honouring the life and work of the Robert Burns. While there are plenty of ways to celebrate the beloved poet, the most common is a Burns Supper.
At the weekend, Scots all over the world will come together to host their own special evening meals that pay tribute to the bard. While there is no wrong way to host a Burns Supper, there certainly is a traditional way — and it can be deceptively complicated.
From the unique traditions to the dishes served, the Daily Record has compiled a quick guide to help you celebrate Burns Night in style. Whether you’re wanting to go all out or are just keen to sprinkle in a few historic touches, here is what you need to know about hosting a Burns Supper.
Piping in the guests
Unsurprisingly, the first thing you need to do when putting together the perfect Burns Supper is provide a proper welcome to your guests. As you could probably guess, traditional Scottish music is a must.
While a piper would of course be ideal, many Scots probably will not have access to one — or want to deal with noise complaints from the neighbours. In that case, Spotify works too.
Chairman’s Welcome and The Selkirk Grace
After all of your guests have been welcomed in, the evening can truly begin. First, the host should gather everyone together for the start of the entertainment.
At this point, a short prayer should be read out loud:
“Some hae meat and canna eat,
And some wad eat that want it,
But we hae meat and we can eat,
And sae the Lord be thankit.”
This should be done by the best Burns speaker you have, as it needs to be bellowed from the top of the table. If you or any of your guests have a thick booming accent, then all the better.
Piping in the Haggis
Now, it is time to welcome your food in true Burns Supper style with some more traditional music. Once again, having a piper on-hand helps, but music from your laptop will get the job done too.
By this point, the star of the show has arrived. All of your guests will likely be excited for a mouthwatering feast.
Address to a Haggis
This is where it gets a little tricky. One of your guests should be chosen to give a rendition of Burns’ ‘Address to a Haggis’, and it should be somebody who has practiced the poem in advance.
Not to pile on the pressure, but this is arguably the most important tradition of the night. It would be a good idea to have all of your guests be at least a little bit familiar with the poem, as reading it aloud can be a truly moving experience.
Now, it is time for the ceremonial cutting of the haggis that marks the beginning of the feast itself. Finally, it is time to eat!
Toast to the Haggis
Or not quite. Before everyone digs in, the guests will usually toast the haggis.
Thankfully, this is a simple affair. All you need to do is get everyone in attendance to raise their glass and shout as jovially as they can: “The Haggis!”.
Finally, it really is time to eat!
Okay, now it really is time to tuck in. Assuming you have prepared your food in advance, the hard work should be over by this point.
The main attraction is of course the haggis, but there are plenty of other traditional Scots dishes that you can also serve. These include cock-a-leekie or Scotch broth soup for a starter and clootie dumplings or cranachan for dessert.
Toast to the Lassies and Laddies
The Toast to the Lassies speech is another part of a traditional Burns Supper, which historically would see a male guest thank all of the women who prepared the meal. These days, it is customary for the women attending to return the gesture with a Toast to the Laddies.
Depending on how much whisky has been drunk, these speeches are likely to be one of the sillier moments of the night. It gives your guests a chance to add a special touch, and there are sure to be a few laughs.
Works by Burns
Finally, a Burns Supper would not be complete without an old-fashioned singalong or recital. Common picks include ‘A Man’s a Man’ and ‘Parcel O’ Rogues’, while this is also a great opportunity to the little ones involved.
Finally, it is time to end your Burns Night supper. For the perfect capper, have all of your guests join hands and sing Auld Lang Syne.
Don’t miss the latest news from around Scotland and beyond – sign up to the Scotland Now newsletter here.