Should auld acquaintance be forgot, and the days of auld lang syne? We have steamed past Hogmanay into 2022, and we are rolling straight into Burns Night! As we are still deep in the dark days of winter, we love a tradition to keep these long nights cosy and joyful. Each January 25th, Scots and Scot-lovers near and far have continued to celebrate the life and works of Rabbie Burns.
As Mud is a community with deep Scottish roots, we wanted to honour our national poet. For those who are less familiar with his works, we thought we’d share with you a bit about the bard and how you can celebrate wherever you are! One of the most prominent characters in Scottish history, Burns wrote hundreds of poems and songs in Scots and English. Burns is beloved and known worldwide for his humour, love of life, and even his love of women… Although, his love for women can be argued to be both a blessing and a curse! He once wrote: Love is the Alpha and Omega of human enjoyment. While he may not have been the most faithful of partners, his endless outpourings of affection for the fairer sex resulted in many linguistic gems that we can still enjoy today.
Beyond his reflections on love, Burns had a talent for deeply understanding human nature. His works gave us insight into the lives of many; from their hopes and dreams, to love and anguish. His musings on every aspect of life, the truthful, the mundane, the dark, and the beautiful are universal and timeless. While he only lived until 37 years old and died in poverty, his life was full. Born to poor farmers in Ayrshire, he understood the power of speaking up for injustices even as he became a sensation in Edinburgh. Burns would continue to write and reflect on the absurdity of life and his experiences, even penning ‘Address to a Haggis’ to mock the pretentious Edinburgh society.
Nowadays, we continue to recite his works in the immortal memory of the loveable rogue. This is traditionally done over a meal with friends, typically a Scots broth, followed by a haggis (of which you may even read ‘Address to a Haggis’!). Once the meal is over, you may toast to the lassies and sometimes there may even be a reply to the laddies. After a merry evening of eating, you may want to finish it off with a ceilidh accompanied by traditional Scottish tunes. Regardless, the most important thing in celebrating Burns Night is to enjoy your company, so gee yer pals ae fond kiss!
Wherever you celebrate your Burns Night, whether it’s in Scotland, in a grand hall, around a campfire, at your kitchen table, or just watching a YouTube video, we’re all sharing a connection through the words of one man. These shared stories and experiences are what make us human, and that’s the beauty of Burns!
At Mud, we of course wanted to pay tribute to the man himself by celebrating the beauty of our bonnie lands, which is why we’ve prepared a gorgeous Scottish themed bouquet. We’re sure that Burns would have had many a fair lassie to give this bouquet to! While we can certainly agree that Burns was no saint, he definitely “was a man, for a that and a that!” So wherever you’re reading this from, and even if you decide not to partake in a haggis supper, we can enjoy these wise words from The Selkirk Grace:Some hae meat an canna eat,And some wad eat that want it;But we hae meat, and we can eat,And sae the Lord be thankit.
You can shop our Burns bouquet on delivery Tuesday 25th January here. A Scottish design including thistle and of course a red, red rose.