Tea & Biscuits: The Night of January Scottish Revelry That is Burns Night By Lee O'Donovan
(Authors note: I urge you all to read this piece back to yourselves with a thick Scottish burr.)
On Monday the 26th of January, 2016 many a British household will be celebrating the birthday of Scottish poet Robert Burns. People will be scoffing platefuls of haggis, tatties and neeps with glasses of whiskey and reading poetry in barely pronounceable Scottish.
Robert Burns was an 18th Century poet who is, arguably, considered the most important and celebrated literary figure in Scottish history.
I want to offer a recipe for celebrating Burns Night that I know that my British friends will be using if you readers decide to have a celebration of your
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A pile of mashed potato seasoned with plenty of pepper known on the night as 'Tatties.'
A pile of mashed swede and turnip known on the night as 'Neeps.'
A sharp knife to cut open the haggis.
A glass for each participant of whiskey( half a glass could be sufficient) known on the night as a 'Dram.'
A CD of traditional bagpipe music unless someone in your social group knows a bagpipe player.
A designated Master(or Mistress) of Ceremony's
A copy of Burn's poem 'Address to a Haggis'
The evening will begin with everyone but the Master(or Mistress) of Ceremony sat at a table made up with plates, cutlery and drams of whiskey each with one setting left for the M.C.
The M.C. carries the steaming haggis on a platter from the kitchen to the dinner table( The haggis will have been pierced a couple of times to allow the pressured steam inside the haggis to escape otherwise cutting open the haggis might cause the beast to explode like a sausage might.) and places the platter on the table in front of the M.C.s seat. The M.C. picks up the knife and pauses a moment. The knife is placed back down on the table and the copy of the poem "Address to a Haggis" is picked