Burns Supper

Since Rabbie Burns immortalised haggis in a poem, "Burns Suppers" have been a part of Scottish Culture. Every January 25th we commemorate our beloved bard, as a tribute to his death in 1796. This ritual was started by some of his friends and remains unchanged today.

The evening begins with the "Selkirk Grace"

"Some hae meat and cannot eat,
 Some cannot eat that want it,
 But we hae meat and we can eat,
 Sae let the lord thankit"

Everyone is asked to stand to receive the haggis, while the chef carrying the haggis, is lead to the top table by a piper. The guests clap slowly, then a famous Burns poem called 
"To A Haggis" is read out. 

"Fair fa' honest, sonsie face,
 Great chieftan o the puddin'-race!
 Aboon then a' ye tak your place,
 Painch, tripe, or thairm:
 Weel are ye wordy of a grace
 As lang's my arm.

 The groaning trencher there ye fill,
 Your hurdles like a distant hill,
 Your pin was help to mend a mill
 In time o need,
 While thro your pores the dews distil
 Like amber bead.

 His knife see rustic labour dight,
 An cut you up wi ready slight,
 (this is when the haggis is cut open)
 Trenching your gushing entrails bright,
 Like onie ditch,
 And then, O what a glorious sight,
 Warm-reekin, rich!

 Then, hom for hom, they stretch an strive:
 Deil tak the hindmost, on the drive,
 Till a' their weel-swall'd kytes belyve
 Are bent like drums;
 The auld Guidman, maist like to rive,
 'Bethankit' hums.

 Is there that owre his French ragout,
 Or olio that was staw a sow,
 Or fricassee wad mak her spew
 Wi perfect sconner,
 Looks down wi sneering, scomfu view
 On sic a dinner?

 Poor devil! see him owre his trash,
 As feckless as a wither'd rash,
 His spindle shank a guid whip-lash,
 His nieve a nit:
 Thro bloody flood or filed to dash,
 O how unfit!

 But mark the rustic, haggis-fed,
 The trembling earth resounds his tread,
 Clap in his walie nieve a blade,
 He'll make it whissle;
 An legs an arms, an heads wull sned,
 Like taps o thrissle.

 Ye Pow'rs, wha mak mankind your care,
 And dish them out their bill o fare,
 Auld Scotland wants nae skinking ware
 That jaups in luggies:
 But, if ye wish her gratefu prayer,
 Gie her a Haggis!

The guest speaker then toasts the haggis with a glass of Whiskey, and the Bill O'Fare begins.
After Dinner a short speech is given, in Burns immortal memory. Originally, ladies would have prepared the food, so a toast to the Lasses is given, to the female guests. The evening concludes with various songs and poems and finally everyone links hand to sing "Auld Lang Syne".