Bobby Burns Day

We have eaten haggis and lived to tell about it.

Robert Burns, the Scottish poet ("O wad some Power the giftie gie us, To see oursels as ithers see us!"), was born on 25 January 1759. His birthday is not a national holiday in Great Britain, but Brits seldom pass up an excuse for a party.

"Bobby Burns Day" celebrations are usually dinners featuring haggis, a kind of Scottish soul food made from the ground heart, liver, and lungs of a sheep, along with oatmeal and spices, stuffed into the sheep's stomach. This explains why alcohol is usually involved (Scotch whisky or ale), as some courage is necessary to eat haggis.

Haggis is considered the national dish of Scotland as a result of Robert Burns' poem Address to a Haggis, written in 1787. Haggis is traditionally served with "neeps and tatties" (turnips and potatoes). On Bobby Burns Night, the haggis is brought to the table with the accompaniment of bagpipes, and ceremoniously cut open with a dagger (though a kitchen knife will do if a dagger isn't handy).

Photo courtesy of www.holidayscotland.org

We went to The Lion Inn, our neighborhood pub of choice (see below) for the Bobby Burns celebration. The place was packed. There was a local metal rock band called the "Mighty Scotch Chocolate" (I think), who all wear kilts and look like extras from Braveheart. The lead vocal alternates between singing and playing the bagpipes. It's a nice balance, as the pipes require no amplification.

We didn't stay long, as there was no place to sit. But they were serving free haggis with neeps and tatties, and though we'd already eaten, we tried it (along with a pint to wash it down). It really was quite good -- sort of like meatloaf.

One merely has to forget the recipe to enjoy it.