Burn's Night FHE

So, so so SO late in coming. Been a bit busy having a baby and all:P

BUT, I had to post about this fun tradition to celebrate the Scottish poet, Robert Burns. It's called Burns Night or Robert Burns Day.

It is held around Robert Burns' birthday on the 25th of January, so our FHE group decided to hold our celebrations on the following monday, the 28th.

(If I hadn't explained it before, Lars was invited by the Chinese speaking missionaries to join them at the YSA FHE activities before I joined him in Scotland. When I arrived he wanted me to meet his new friends so I went. They were SO FRIENDLY and inviting...so much so that they invited us to continue to join them for their Family Home Evenings:)

So, seeing as how we are the only married couple attending they thought it a good idea to ask Lars to come up with the "Toast to the Lassies" and I was to do the "Reply to the Toast to the Lassies" also known as the "Toast to the Laddies", which are part of the celebration traditions.

What does this mean? Well, of course we went to Wikipedia for help:

Toast to the Lassies 

This was originally a short speech given by a male guest in thanks to the women who had prepared the meal. However, nowadays it is much more wide-ranging and generally covers the male speaker's view on women. It is normally amusing but not offensive, particularly bearing in mind that it will be followed by a reply from the "lassies" concerned.

The men drink a toast to the women's health.

Reply to the Toast to the Lassies 

This is occasionally (and humorously) called the "Toast to the Laddies" and, like the previous toast, it is generally quite wide-ranging nowadays. A female guest will give her views on men and reply to any specific points raised by the previous speaker. Like the previous speech, this should be amusing, but not offensive. Quite often the speakers giving this toast and the previous one will collaborate so that the two toasts complement each other.

Thank you Wikipedia:)


Here is Lars': http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yQnnaGP6cpA


And my reply: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bYB6zWtJQ7Y

I think it went rather well seeing as how we weren't sure what we were doing:D

Anywho, it was such a fun evening planned by Rachel and Mairi. (Those two can do ANYTHING:)

Other tradition highlights are the addressing of the Haggis which was done magnificently by Rachel. Just an excerpt shown here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pCr30W8G34k

Rachel and Haggis:)

Then the Immortal Memory where Mairi told us about Robert Burns and his life and works. He was the one who came up with the words to "Auld Lang Syne"!

Rachel and Mairi also sang a beautiful song written by Robert Burns...which I shamefully cannot remember the name to... :( Watch it here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=v2vLhBx2Ggo

I also found out that Milwaukee, Wisconsin has a copy of a statue of Robert Burns! The original being located at Kilmarnock, Scotland.

After the sharing of laughter and memories we then got to eat said Haggis...

(Haggis is a savoury pudding containing sheep's pluck (heart, liver and lungs); minced with onion, oatmeal, suet, spices, and salt, mixed with stock, and traditionally encased in the animal's stomach and simmered for approximately three hours. Most modern commercial haggis is prepared in a sausage casing rather than an actual stomach. - Wikipedia) 

Haggis...yum:)

...and of course some "Neeps and Tatties" = Turnips and Potatoes, Scottish favorites:)

Mairi was cool enough to also make Clootie Dumpling. (made with flour, breadcrumbs, dried fruit (sultanas and currants), suet, sugar and spice with some milk to bind it, and sometimes golden syrup. Ingredients are mixed well into a dough, then wrapped up in a floured cloth, placed in a large pan of boiling water and simmered for a couple of hours before being lifted out and dried before the fire or in an oven. - Wikipedia)

(Thanks to Mairi for the two toast videos and pictures of the haggis and the clootie dumpling:)

Such a fun Scottish night!