'Life is but a day at most': Celebrating Robbie Burns in Canada

Nothing stirs Canadians with Scottish blood more than the sound of the pipes — except for Robbie Burns day.

The Scottish bard’s birthday falls on Jan. 25, and it’s cause for celebration amongst Canadians with Scottish heritage. According to a 2016 census, 4.8 million Canadians reported Scotland as their country of ethnic origin — just under 14 per cent of the country.

Celebrations are held across Canada in the week leading up to Robbie Burns Day, where traditional bagpipes are played, haggis and oatcakes are served, and Scots celebrate with a wee dram of Scotch whisky.

Other celebrations include a traditional Burns supper, with readings of Robbie Burns’ poetry, hearty meals, and Scotch. The Scottish Parliament considers it to be a key cultural heritage event, and Canada is no exception to the rule.

Photo via Christopher O’Donnell/Shutterstock

A national poet

Robert (“Robbie”) Burns is considered the national poet of Scotland, and he published both lyrics and songs in English and Scots.

Burns was born in Alloway, South Ayrshire, Scotland. He was the son of a farmer whose difficult life inspired him to rebel against the social order of the day and publish a plethora of satirical and political works. He received some education, but was primarily self-taught, developing a quick wit and a sharp pen by reading the works of Shakespeare, Milton and Dryden.

Despite his enduring poetic verse, he was a working-class man, inheriting the family farm after the death of his father, falling in love with a servant girl, and welcoming the arrival of his bastard son with a lively poem.

Throughout his life, he cultivated a strong poetic voice, expressing love, friendship and discontent through cleverly crafted verse. His work, Poems, Chiefly in the Scottish Dialect, documented the lives and oral traditions of humble Scots for the first time. With such a strong legacy and a “wildly rebellious” character, it’s no wonder we continue to celebrate Robbie Burns’ birthday every year, even all the way across the Atlantic.

curiocity calgary scottish highland dancers — Photo via Paul McKinnon/Shutterstock

Marking our heritage

In Canada, there is an abundance of Scottish traditions that run deep. Scots were some of the first European settlers to arrive in Canada in the 17th century, and the two countries continue to enjoy a more than 150-year friendship.

Celebrations will be held across Canada leading up to Robbie Burns’ birthday on Jan. 25, and you can take part by participating in a traditional “Burns Bash.”

If you’re brave, you can also try a bite of haggis (sheep’s stomach), a classic Scottish meal, or, for those a little sheepish, beloved favourites like Shepherd’s Pie. Don’t forget to down it all with a celebratory snort, and raise your glass to cheers one of Scotland’s most prolific individuals.

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