BEST OF BRITAIN
Celebrating Burns Night
From the poetry
of Robert Burns to a celebration of Scottish food, here is a guide to what the occasion involves. There’s a general cozi- ness that drifts through the months of October, November and December, one that’s also mixed with partying and opti- mism. It is instigated by the embracing of a change in season and the arrival of Christmas with its copious plates of food, social gatherings and clichés of snow and fireplaces. Then there’s the New Year, which rapidly becomes a thing of the past and suddenly the cozi- ness and celebratory aspects can be lost, monotonies kick in and a craving for warmer weather intensifies. But January 25th brings us Burns Night, the annual occasion embracing the Scottish bard Robert Burns.
Burns, 1759-1796, is generally regarded as Scotland’s most celebrated poet, writing about working life, regional experiences and personal observations. Considered as a forerunner to the Romantics literary movement, his work includes To A Mouse, A Red, Red Rose, Halloween and Auld Lang Syne. Te first Burns Supper took place in 1802 by some of his closest friends and continued thereafter on the date of his birth. A central focus of the night has conse-
quently become the food and drink, plate- fuls of traditional Scottish flavours and glasses continuously topped up with
warming whisky. Tere’s the haggis and side helping of mashed parsnips and pota- toes (also known as neeps and tatties), a starter likely consisting of cock-a-leekie (leek and chicken) soup, and a dessert of cranachan – a pudding rich with cream, raspberries and whisky. Addresses can be made: Te Immortal Memory (a personal speech remembering Robert Burns) and
“A central focus of the night is the food and drink, platefuls of traditional Scottish flavours and glasses continuously topped up with warming whisky.”
www.focus-info.org FOCUS The Magazine 31
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