Why is burns night celebrated

Vegetarians and pescetarians — or those who want to try something a little different — can choose haggis made without meat. Also popular is seafood dishes like Cullen Skink soup, made from smoked haddock. Join thought-provoking conversations, follow other Independent readers and see their replies. Want to bookmark your favourite articles and stories to read or reference later?

Start your Independent Premium subscription today. Recommended How to address your haggis, courtesy of Robert Burns. Already subscribed? Test your knowledge of all things Robert Burns with this fun new quiz! The legacy of Robert Burns is incredibly impressive reaching far and wide across the globe and into the consciousness of some of the world's most well-known people. Check out these 20 fascinating facts about our very own Ploughman Bard. Tae The Bard is a podcast series dedicated to Robert Burns.

Learn how to host the perfect Burns supper here. There's no experience quite like a Burns Night celebration. Whether you're addressing the haggis, or you don't know your kilts from your ceilidhs - we've got the guide for you!

Interactive Map of Burns Suppers. Robert Burns was born in Alloway, Scotland, on January 25, He died in Dumfries, Scotland, on July 21, He was a bard poet and wrote many poems, lyrics and other pieces that addressed political and civil issues.

Perhaps his best known work is "Auld Lang Syne", which is sung at New Year's Eve celebrations in Scotland, parts of the United Kingdom, and other places around the world.

Burns is one of Scotland's important cultural icons and is well known among Scottish expats or descendants around the world. Robert Burns acquaintances held the first Burns supper on July 21, the anniversary of his death, in Ayrshire, Scotland, in the late s.

The date was later changed to January 25, which marks his birthday. Burns suppers are now held by people and organizations with Scottish origins worldwide, particularly in Australia, Canada, England, and the United States. The Scottish flag is often displayed at Burns Night celebrations. It is known as the Saltire and consists of a rectangular blue background with thick white bars on the diagonals. The diagonals form a cross that represents Saint Andrew , the patron saint of Scotland.

At Burns Night events, many men wear kilts and women may wear shawls, skirts or dresses made from their family tartan. A tartan was originally a woolen cloth with a distinctive pattern made by using colors of weft and warp when weaving. Particular patterns and combinations of colors were associated with different areas, clans and families.