Thread: Burns Night 2009

Although Robert Burns night itself is tomorrow night (Sunday 25th January) we have had our haggis early. I wondered if anyone else was celebrating this occasion? This is after all the 250th anniversary of the Bards birth.

I did not dress full highland for this since it was just one for my wife and I. I did however address the haggis. She tried it and gave up at verse 2. This haggis was the first i'd had directly from the butcher and this was in the sheeps stomach as it should be. For those interested, a plastic coating holds meat juices and water in, giving the haggis a washed out flavour. Traditional haggis in the sheeps stomach allows the water out but keeps the meat juices in.

Man alive does it make a difference! As the bard himself puts it...

"Warm-reekin', rich!"

I just went to the Robt Burns poem and I am wondering if it can be translated into American?

You couldnt understand the English translation?

A lot of words or maybe just the speelings that are unusual to me, but then again I am not a poet.

Originally Posted by nun2sharp

I just went to the Robt Burns poem and I am wondering if it can be translated into American?

Oh, I've got it, here's the translation in plain american:

'Dude, this sausage that the Scottish eat is sure some nasty stuff.
Man, do they dig on those sheep guts.... eek.
And French food ain't better either.
Oh, man, I hope they stay in their Europe and never come to our great land.
Hamburgers and fries rule! Washed down with the King, of course. Unless you're under 21, and then it's CocaCola(TM) - that's the law!'

Originally Posted by gugi

Oh, I've got it, here's the translation in plain american:

'Dude, this sausage that the Scottish eat is sure some nasty stuff.
Man, do they dig on those sheep guts.... eek.
And French food ain't better either.
Oh, man, I hope they stay in their Europe and never come to our great land.
Hamburgers and fries rule! Washed down with the King, of course. Unless you're under 21, and then it's CocaCola(TM) - that's the law!'

Thats what I thought it said, but I wasnt sure. Thanks!

The description of a haggis doesn't really do much to encourage eating the food I have to admit.

But I quite like it. It doesn't have a very strong flavor and I don't see how lamb, oats and some herbs could upset anyone unless they really don't like lamb. It's great food on a cold winters evening and they get plenty of those in Scotland.

Haggis do indeed taste a lot better than they sound. (Like many things do.)

They are tricky little beggars to hunt down though. That is why it is normally so hard to find haggis-hair shaving brushes, which are said to be even better than badger hair.

I'll be keeping out an eye on ebay to see if any of these rare brushes become available now that the haggis hunting season is on.

BBC NEWS | Scotland | Tourists dream of hunting haggis

Its very easy to catch a haggis once you find one. Here's how:

A haggis is a small furry creature that has one leg longer than the other. This unique trait would be a hinderance anywhere else but on its native habitat of the hills of Scotland it is perfect. It runs round a hill all day. Only thing is it can only go in one direction. So here is how to catch it.

You set up a huge net at the bottom of the hill. Then you climb the hill where the haggis lives and hide behind a bush. Soon enough he'll come round the corner, hopping along. At that point you jump out from behind the bush and scare it. The Haggis is then so terrified it turns to try and run away. Only now he's off balance. His longer leg is further up the hill. He will therefore lose his footing and roll all the way down the hill into your net.

A Scottish friend of mine from my pub music sessions was moaning to me at a barn dance we were playing for last night. He plays fiddle and the Highland pipes. He is booked every night for the next week and he reckons he'll get haggis poisoning!

Mind you, he's not a vegetarian but will only eat the veggie haggi...

I prefer faggots and peas myself.

Gareth