Tomorrow is Robbie Burns Day

Should auld acquaintance be forgot,
And never brought to mind?
Should auld acquaintance be forgot,
And auld lang syne!

For auld lang syne, my dear,
For auld lang syne.
We'll tak a cup o' kindness yet,
For auld lang syne.


If you have ever sung the beautiful and poignant Auld Lang Syne at midnight on New Year’s Eve, you have paid tribute to one of the worlds’ greatest poets. Tomorrow, January 25, is Robbie Burns Day, one of Scotland’s most famous and prolific writers (forerunner to JK Rowling who has blown everybody out of the water). Burns is the author of almost 600 poems, including My Luve Is Like A Red, Red Rose, A Man’s A Man for A’ That and the whimsical, To A Mouse.

Haggis, the national dish of Scotland, is traditionally served to celebrate the bard’s birthday. A few years ago when I was in Scotland presenting a paper at a conference, I had a chance to taste some traditional haggis (a combination of a sheep’s stomach pouch, oatmeal and various spices), which Burns reportedly loved, as his poem, Address to a Haggis attests. I was less than enthusiastic about it, but to be fair, it’s probably an acquired taste. Happy Robbie Burns Day!