April 6 is National Tartan Day
The holiday you never knew you were missing!
(You do have the day off work don't you!)
OK, Now that I've got your attention.
What's New? 4/12/16 Added We Need Your Help Forums/Blogs Pizza Hut & Restaurant Memories
What's New? 4/10/16 Added IRN-BRU Page Click Here, Phil Zehren joined the website and we have an update on "Mona Calls Rex Out" click here
What's New? 4/8/16 Added Baxter's Soups Page (at the left) from the "You Might be Scottish if . . ." list of foods. Scotland has a pretty impressive variety of soups. I'm actually quite jealous.
What's New? 4/7/16 Added Outlander (a Starz TV Series) promotional Poster and checked it out on Amazon - looks quite interesting!
Added links to explain some of the very strange foods listed under "You Might be Scottish if . . . " Check it out, some of them actually look quite tasty!" If you check out the Irn-Bru videos, please Post a Comment on the "What's New Page" and let me know how you liked them. You did heed my warning didn't you?
Added a few comments John Hourigan might appreciate in the Scottish section.
We've changed our tartans on the border, (it's good to change your tartans occasionally), but if you're viewing on a cell phone, you won't see it (not enough room). If you like bright colours and shiny objects, and want to see what the cell phones miss, click here.
Added a few new jokes and since they now start so far down the page, a nifty little button to take you there directly.
Susan McIntosh wrote an article on October 16, 2015 entitled "You might be Scottish if . . ." actually she used the word Gael as in Gaelic. She expressed her interest in her Scottish Heritage and was concerned about how many Americans are simply unaware of their Scottish Ancestery. and how nice it would be to have neighbors who are aware of and interested in their Scottish Gaelic heritage. Perhaps even neighbors with whom I could joke around in Gaelic! As it is, even my own (Italian American) mother’s eyes glaze over when I begin to get Gaelic-y.
Of course there are loads of people with Scottish Gaelic heritage just about everywhere in America. The problem is, they have no clue of the incredible heritage that they – and their children and grandchildren – are missing. Lets face the facts: precious few Scottish Americans are actually aware that they enjoy Scottish heritage and somewhat less than a micron of that number understand their Scottish Gaelic roots. Suffice it to say that one would not likely hike through the hyper-cultural polyglot of New York City and expect to happen upon a “little Gaidhealtachd” or a corner vendor selling haggis on a stick. Not gonna happen.
Why not? Gaelic immigration to America has been significant relative to other immigrant cultures. And this is important: people came here as Gaels – these were not people who considered themselves Scottish with a side dish of Gaelic ancestry. They spoke Gaelic – many spoke it exclusively – and they engaged in Gaelic tradition and lifeways in America. It is not a difficult task to unmask at least one or three folk of Gaelic heritage in almost any office or workplace in America today. What happened to Gaelic culture in America?
You might be a Gael if you like Outlander. Author Diana Gabaldon is one of the first popular fiction authors to take Gaelic culture seriously – the other being author of the outstanding ”Bone Rattler” series, Eliot Pattison. Happily, Gabaldon’s pro-Gaelic approach has been taken up by the creators and crew of the StarzTV Outlander television series. As this was written, Starz was available as an add on for $8.99 on Amazon Prime, or you can marathon with a free 7 day trial.
For the rest of Susan's article, click here
Outlander - While on a second honeymoon in Scotland with her husband after World War II, army nurse Claire Randall (Caitriona Balfe) steps through an ancient standing stone circle and awakes in 1743, where Scottish rebels save her from an assault by a royal army captain who happens to be her husband's ancestor, only to take her further into the Scottish highlands. (3 Seasons on Starz)
Almost half of the signers of the Declaration of Independence were of Scottish descent [1]
All of this leads us to National Tartan Day. In the United States, the Senate passed a resolution in 1998 to designate April 6 as "National Tartan Day."
"Whereas this resolution honors the major role that Scottish Americans played in the founding of this nation, such as the fact that almost half of the signers of the Declaration of Independence were of Scottish descent, the governors in nine of the original 13 States were of Scottish ancestry, Scottish Americans successfully helped shape this country in its formative years and guide this nation through its most troubled times." the resolution said.
Tartan Day is a celebration of Scottish heritage on April 6, the date on which the Declaration of Arbroath (essentially Scotland's Independence Day details click here) was signed in 1320.
As you probably know, virtually every clan in Scotland has it's own Tartan, a specific plaid pattern made up of vertical and horizontal lines of specific colors to form a distinctive plaid. In traditional wear, family names may be recognized by their tartan, which may be work as kilts, skirts, shirts, etc.
Think your name might be Scottish?
For a list of Scottish names and clan information. Click Here
A few of the names listed are strangely familiar, Aiken, Allison, Anderson, Bell, Brown, Christie, Clark, Fraser, Galbreath, Galloway, Graham, Logan, Lockhart, MacQueen, Narin, Pollock, Scott, Smith, Thompson, Wilson and others.
Wonder that Your Tartan Might Look Like?
Check out the Tartan Finder at The ScotlandShop.com Click Here
Check out the Tartan Finder at The Scottish Lion.com Click Here
Find a Tartan by Primary colour or colours Click Here
If you're in the mood to buy something Scottish, I recommend talking to Heather MacCain at HeritageOfScotland.com where they are currently having a 30% off sale on some items to celebrate Easter and Tartan Day (and no John, we don't get any kickbacks from Heather, just in case you were wondering).
Scottish Tartan Forums https://www.scotweb.co.uk/tartantalk
The Scott Clan Tartan (one of them)
Here's a link to an assortment of Fraser Tartans Click Here
This is one of them
If You're not Scottish, or didn't find a plaid you liked, never fear
Design Your Own Plaid:
Here are a number of websites where you can design your own plaid:
https://www.scotweb.co.uk/tartandesign/
http://www.house-of-tartan.scotland.net/interactive/weaver/index.html
http://www.tartanmaker.com/
http://plaidmaker.com/
You can even Register your own plaid to make it official.
The Declaration of Arbroath is a declaration of Scottish independence, made in 1320. It is in the form of a letter in Latin submitted to Pope John XXII, dated 6 April 1320, intended to confirm Scotland's status as an independent, sovereign state and defending Scotland's right to use military action when unjustly attacked.
Generally believed to have been written in the Arbroath Abbey by Bernard of Kilwinning, then Chancellor of Scotland and Abbot of Arbroath, and sealed by fifty-one magnates and nobles, the letter is the sole survivor of three created at the time. The others were a letter from the King of Scots, Robert I, and a letter from four Scottish bishops which all presumably made similar points.
April 6 Commemorates the Signing of Arbroath in 1320
The Declaration of Arbroath, a declaration of Scottish independence, was signed on April 6, 1320. Scottish barons and earls then sent the declaration, in the form of a letter, to Pope John XXII to assert Scotland's status as an independent state. It also asked the pontiff to recognize "Robert the Bruce as the country's lawful king," according to the National Records of Scotland. The American Declaration of Independence was modeled after the Declaration of Arbroath.
In the United States, the Senate passed a resolution in 1998 to designate April 6 as "National Tartan Day."
"Whereas this resolution honors the major role that Scottish Americans played in the founding of this nation, such as the fact that almost half of the signers of the Declaration of Independence were of Scottish descent, the governors in nine of the original 13 States were of Scottish ancestry, Scottish Americans successfully helped shape this country in its formative years and guide this nation through its most troubled times." the resolution said.
In 2005, the House passed similar resolution.
You Might Be Scottish if:
1) You drive around the block to find a meter with a quarter in it already
(John, now you understand - it's hereditary!)
2) You say "cheers" or "ta" instead of thanks.
3) You know Irn-Bru is the ultimate hangover cure. That fluorescent orange glow. The tangy, sickly sweet taste. There’s a reason Scotland is the only country in the world that sells more Irn-Bru (Iron Brew) than Coca-Cola, and it’s because we know about its magical headache removing properties. If only it would take away the cringe-y memories too.
Note: Irn-Bru is a soda pop and is largely popular due to a series of "very unique" advertising promotions, "Irn-Bru gets you through," the concept of it is basically "Drink and Irn-Bru and EVERYTHING will be alright." Click Here (after this skit, if scantily clad bodies bother you, please don't click the right arrow, don't say I didn't warn you!)
4) You know what a Ceilidh is and how to pronounce it properly!
5) You consider a scattered shower with outbreaks of sunshine is good weather.
6) You know what haggis is made with and still eat it.
7) Your eyes tear up at the sound of bagpipes playing ‘Amazing Grace’.
8) Words like “both”, “home” and “stone” are pronounced “baith”, “hame” and “stane”,
9) You expect free prescription drugs and university degrees. You think it’s crazy how much people have to pay for them in other countries. It’s your right to free healthcare, so you can’t imagine living in a country where such a basic human right is denied. Nevertheless, you could spend hours moaning about the National Health Service.
10) You casually tell foreign friends that if it wasn't for the Scots there would be no telly, penicillin, golf, fax machines, telephones, steam engine, insulin, radar, bicycles, The Chilean Navy, Bank of England, raincoats, cloned sheep, whisky, postage stamps, refrigerators etc.
11) People ask you if the Loch Ness Monster exists or if Haggis is an animal and you try to spread the Myth further by stating "Ay, it's True!" Also, You can keep a straight face when explaining about a Haggis having its left leg shorter than its right and you can catch them by making them run the wrong way round a hill!
12) A full English Breakfast is transformed into a Scottish Breakfast by adding Stornoway black pudding, potato scones, rashers of fried Ayrshire bacon, fried haggis, dod of fried mushrooms/fried tomatoes, square sausage and baked beans (just to prove not everything we eat is fried!).
13) You have eaten lots of random Scottish food like Bridies(similar to pasties, but made without potatoes), Aberdeen Rowies(butteries), Mince & Tatties, Haggis, Cullen Skink, Stovies (dish based on potatoes. Recipes and ingredients vary widely, but the dish always contains potatoes with, variously, onions, carrots, other vegetables, roast beef, minced beef, corned beef or other meat.), Tunnock's Teacakes/Snowballs, Scott's Porridge Oats, Macaroon Bars, Baxters Soup, Scotch Pies, Scotch Eggs(peeled hard cooked egg, wrapped in sausage, dipped in egg wash, rolled in breadcrumbs then deep fried), Oatcakes, Shortbread, Arbroath Smokies, flapjacks(grainola bars), etc.
14) You can laugh at this joke and others like it; An Englishman entered a bar and stood beside a Scotsman. After they had chatted for a while the Scot asked "Where are you from?" The Englishman replied "I'm from the finest country in the world." The Scot looked sceptical and replied "Are you? You have a damn funny accent for a Scotsman."
15) You can say drunk in a thousand ways, here's just a few: badgered, bladdered, bleezin', blootered, hawf-cut, cabbaged, guttered, hammered, lashed, leathered, mangled, minced, rubbered, wellied, reekin', banjaxed, stocious, mingin', pished as a fart etc.
16) You miss cups of tea when you've lived away from home for a while. You think people who don't add milk to their tea are weird.
Happy Tartan Day!
