Burns’ Night – 25th January

January 20, 2015

• Topical

Who is celebrating Burns’ Night this weekend?!

Burns’ Night is a supper celebrating the life and poetry of the Scottish poet Robert Burns. The suppers are held on or near the poet’s birthday, 25^th January, also known as Robert Burns Day or Burns’ Night.

In 1801, the first Burns club was established in Greenock. Ayrshire merchants, some of whom had known Burns, founded it. They held this first Burns’ supper on 29^th January 1802, what they thought was Robert Burns’ birthday, but in 1803, Ayr parish records established that his birthday was 25^th January 1759. Since this, Burns’ Night suppers have been held on 25^th January.

Burns’ suppers typically involve haggis, whiskey and the recital of Burns’ poetry.

7 Facts about Burns’ Night

1. Burns’ Night supper is traditionally preceded by the saying of grace in a form written by Robert Burns for a dinner given by the Earl of Selkirk… “Some hae meat and canna eat, And some wad eat that want it; But we hae meat, and we can eat, And sae let the Lord be thankit.”

2. In 2009, the 250th anniversary of Burns’ birth, £9million worth of haggis was sold in the UK.

3. Haggis sales are reported to rise by 2,000 per cent during the week of Burns’ Night.

4. A survey by Pizza Hut says January 25 is the last day many of us stick to New Year resolutions…

5. …and the day after Burns’ Night, is the day on which most pizzas are sold.

6. Burns Night contributes more than £150million to the Scottish economy each year.

7. Dalry Burns Club (founded 1825) claims the longest continuous record of Burns’ Night dinners.

Do you have Burns’ night traditions that you like to celebrate each year? Let us know at Kings Tutors.