Burns
Night is annually celebrated in Scotland on or around January 25. It
commemorates the life of the bard(poet) Robert Burns, who was born on January 25,
1759. The day also celebrates Burns' contribution to Scottish culture. Burns'
best known work is "Auld Lang Syne".
Many people and organizations
hold a Burns' supper on or
around Burns' Night. These may be informal or
formal, only for men, only for women, or for both genders. Formal events
include toasts and readings of pieces written by Robert Burns. Ceremonies during
a Burns' Night supper vary according to the group organizing the event and the
location.
The evening
centers on the entrance of the haggis (a type of sausage
prepared in a sheep's stomach) on a large platter to the sound of a piper
playing bagpipes. When the haggis is on the table, the host reads the
"Address to a Haggis". This is an ode that Robert Burns wrote to the
Scottish dish. At the end of the reading, the haggis is ceremonially sliced
into two pieces and the meal begins.
Public life
Burns' Night is an observance
but it is not a bank holiday in the United Kingdom.
Background
Robert Burns
was born in Alloway, Scotland, on January 25, 1759. He died in Dumfries,
Scotland, on July 21, 1796. 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. He is
also known as: "Rabbie Burns"; the "Bard of Ayrshire";
"Scotland's favourite son"; and in Scotland "The Bard".
Robert Burns' acquaintances
held the first Burns' supper on July 21, the anniversary of his death, in
Ayrshire, Scotland, in the late 1700s. 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.
Symbols
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. Tartan patterns are now printed on various materials.
Many types
of food are associated with Burns' Night. These include: cock-a-leekie
soup (chicken and leek soup); haggis; neeps (mashed
turnips or swedes) and tatties(mashed potatoes); cranachan (whipped
cream mixed with raspberries and served with sweet oat wafers); and bannocks (a
kind of bread cooked on a griddle). Whisky is the traditional drink.
| Мое счастье перевод С. Маршака | Contented Wi' Little And Cantie Wi' Mair |
| Доволен я малым, а большему рад. А если невзгоды нарушат мой лад, За кружкой, под песню гоню их пинком - Пускай они к черту летят кувырком. | Contented with little and jolly with more, Whenever I forgather with Sorrow and Care, I gave them a slap, as they are creeping along, With a dish of good new ale and an old Scottish song. |
| В досаде я зубы сжимаю порой, Но жизнь - это битва, а ты, брат, герой. Мой грош неразменный - беспечный мой нрав, И всем королям не лишить меня прав. | I sometimes scratch the elbow of troublesome Thought; But Man is a soldier, and Life is a fight. My mirth and good humour are coin in my pocket, And my Freedom is my lairdship no monarch dare touch. |
| Гнетут меня беды весь год напролет. Но вечер с друзьями - и все заживет. Когда удалось нам до цели дойти, К чему вспоминать нам о ямах в пути! | A twelve-month of trouble, should that be my fall, A night of good fellowship solders (mends) it all: When at the blythe end of our journey at last, Who the Devil ever thinks of the road he has past? |
| Возиться ли с клячей - судьбою моей? Ко мне, от меня ли, но шла бы скорей. Забота иль радость заглянет в мой дом, - Войдите! - скажу я,- авось проживем! | Blind Chance, let her stumble and stagger on her way, Be it to me, be it from me, even let the old woman go! Come Ease or come Travail, come Pleasure or Pain, My worst word is:- ' Welcome, and welcome again!' |