Hundreds of locals celebrated the life and legacy of Scotland’s national poet, Robert Burns, at the 15th annual Burns supper hosted at Scottish restaurant and brewery, The Haven, from last Thursday through the weekend.
Renowned in Scotland, the traditional Burns supper occurs every year on his birthday, Jan. 25, typically featuring whisky and traditional Scottish fare among bagpipes and poetry. Jason Waddleton, who founded the establishment, opened the night with remarks, sang Burns’ lyrics, and led the toast blessing the haggis—a meat pudding of sheep hearts, liver, and lungs, cooking within the animal’s stomach lining, a Scottish delicacy.
“How often do 120 people get together in a room and celebrate a dead poet from 200 years ago?” said Waddleton. “Everybody gets to be Scottish tonight.”
David Methven, the weekend’s piper, has played at Burns suppers since he was 13. After playing in Glasgow as a teenager, he’s since toured countries like Japan and Italy. He leads the Worcester Kiltie Pipe Band.
David Moir, whose family is from Glasgow, says Burns’ writing about the Scottish diaspora explains history that would otherwise be forgotten.
“He was a Scottish nationalist. One of the greatest songs ever written by him was ‘The Campbells Are Coming’—they were a clan paid by the English to slaughter the other Scots,” said Moir.
Some of Burns’ most well-known compositions include “Auld Lang Syne,” sung every New Year’s Eve, “A Red, Red Rose,” to which Bob Dylan owes his entire creative inspiration, and “My Heart’s in the Highlands,” in reference to Scotland’s famous beauty.
“You’ll Take The High Road And I’ll Take The Low Road,” a famous war song, was inspired by a line in Burns’ poem, “Bonnie Banks of Loch Lomond,” lamenting the end of a love affair after the Battle of Culloden, fought against British invaders, which destroyed the countryside in 1747.
Celtic heritage is often celebrated in Boston, but this is a rare case of it being something other than getting absolutely hammered. Tartans and their clan significance, along with Scottish literary contributions, like Burns’ work, are seldom appreciated, explains Nancy Arnison, who came from Minneapolis.
Dessert included a deep-fried Mars bar and sticky toffee pudding served with whipped cream.
“Scots are strong fighting people with big lungs. We’ve got big chests and run up hills. We’re the engineers of the entire world,” said Moir.
