January 25, 2023: Dunedin: We joined the party and celebrated Burns Night in Dunedin, New Zealand! Complete with kilts, bagpipes, whisky and of course haggis, it was quite the Scottish soiree.
“For auld lang syne, my jo, For auld lang syne! We’ll tak a cup o’ kindness yet, For auld lang syne”
Rabbie Burns
Who is this Robert Burns…
We first learned of poet Robert Burns (1759-1796) on our visit Scotland in 2022. The Scots widely celebrate Rabbie (as he fondly called) as their national poet. He wrote many of his works in a “light Scottish dialect” that is still rather inscrutable to most native English speakers.
Burns’ most famous work is “Auld Lang Syne” (roughly “for old time’s sake”). On New Year’s Eve, no-one bothers to mumble through with anything but the first verse. A shame really; it is probably is easier after a bit of booze…
While most of us may not appreciate Burn’s verse, to Scots he is a hero. He was a carouser, ladies man, and spoke bluntly to the English in power. Scots celebrate his birthday – often in full regalia – the world over.
… and why Dunedin?
Today, 20-40% of Kiwi’s claim Scottish ancestry. And the most Scottish of cities in New Zealand is Dunedin. One of the city’s earliest civic and religious leaders was Reverend Thomas Burns, a nephew. So not surprisingly, Dunedin holds Burns in high regard.
Burns Night in Dunedin
By chance, our 2023 ramble of New Zealand had us in Dunedin on January 25th, Burn’s Night. I dressed in my best travel clothes (khakis and a black hoodie), but I felt a bit under-dressed among the kilts and suits. No matter, the locals welcomed us to table warmly.
Local dignitaries entered to a bagpipe fanfare, with short speeches and good-natured political jibes. Then followed the traditional Burn’s Night Blessing:
Some hae meat and canna eat,
The Selkirk Grace by Robert Burns
And some wad eat that want it,
But we hae meat and we can eat,
And sae the Lord be thankit.
The Piping and Address to the Haggis
Next the main event… the Piping and Address to the Haggis. Guests all stood and pipers marched in ahead of a solemn gentleman carrying the Haggis on a silver platter. The Master of Ceremonies then gave the Address to a Haggis, wherein Burns compares the offal (awful?) sausage to the greatest of Italian and French foods. The master lustfully stabs the dish, and raises a whisky toast. After, the haggis is divided and shared.
The embedded videos show our event, but for a full melodramatic reading, check this out on YouTube.
Dinner and Dancing
And what is haggis you might ask? Hearty fare indeed: a sheep’s stomach, stuffed with its ground pluck (heart, liver, lungs), oats and suet and cooked. “Neeps and tatties” (turnips and potatoes) complete the traditional meal. I suspect Scots drink a whisky toast first for courage to eat! The shortbread served for dessert was much more to my taste.
After dinner we played a few rounds of Burns trivia (uh, we lost), followed by lively dancing. As the kilts whirled and lifted, Jean and I decided to make an exit, and left our new friends to their fun.
