Tonight is Burns Night and Scots all over the world will be celebrating the life and works of Scottish poet Robert Burns.
Here’s what Burns Night is all about.
Who was Robert Burns.
A Scots poet who lived from 1759 until 1796, when he died of rheumatic heart disease. Burns’ poetry celebrated the working man and is still popular today.
What poems did Burns write then?
Auld Lang Syne for a start. He also wrote this.
To A Mouse
Wee sleekit, cow’rin, tim’rous beastie,
O, what a panic’s in thy breastie!
Thou need na start awa sae hasty,
Wi bickering brattle!
I wad be laith to rin an chase thee,
Wi murdering pattle!
What happens on Burns Night?
Whisky will be drunk, poems read and traditional Scots food will be eaten.
Importantly, the haggis will be piped in as the bagpiper leads a procession from the kitchen followed by the chef holding a haggis aloft.
The host then recites the Address To A Haggis before ceremoniously slicing the sheep’s-bladder delicacy.
A whiskey toast is then drunk.
More toasts follow, including the Toast To The Lassies followed by Reply to the Toast to the Lassies.
The whiskey will flow and you’ll be singing in your best Scottish accent by the time the final Auld Lang Syne is sung.
What happens in London on Burns Night?
Burns Night Party
Poetry, music, whiskey and haggis.
Tudor Barn Eltham; tudorbarneltham.co.uk
Burns Night Comedy Gala
Scottish and British comedians battle for a Burns Night laugh.
Leicester Square Theatre; leicestersquaretheatre.com
Albannach
Pricey but you’ll get to hear a piper and dance then a ceilidh.
Albannach, Trafalgar Square; albannach.co.uk
My Dining Room
For a good Burns Night dinner.
My Dining room, Fulham; mydiningroom.net
Sam’s Brasserie
Get your Burns Night haggis here.
Sam’s Brasserie, Chiswick; samsbrasserie.co.uk
