Page 20 - Jan2023

Heritaget

January 25th

Sean Connery may arguably be the cinema's best
known Scot, but for the Scot best known on an
international level, that title belongs to Scotland's
National Poet, Robert Burns. While Burns was in
real life as much a womanizer as 007 was made to
appear, his actual very short life was not all roses
and whiskey. Yet, the power of his verse, most
Americans thinking primarily of the New Year's
mainstay Auld Lang Syne as his contribution to the
events of the day, in Scotland holding a Burns
Night Supper is one of the three most popular
Scottish holidays, which include Hogmany and St.
Andrews Day.

So, who was Robert Burns and what is a Burns
Supper- aside from an event where suppers are
held around the world wherever there are Scots or
people of Scottish derivation?
Even the English can be invited to a Burns Supper--
if only to watch them squirm as they are offered a
mandatory piece of the meal's main attraction-- the Above: An engraving of Robert Burns with
Haggis. Actually, addressing the Haggis, with Burns' scenes from his poems, via an istock image by
ode to the same, is one of the highlights of tthe picthunter.
evening.
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