Robbie Burns night is celebrated in honour of both Scottish culture, and Scotland’s national poet Robbie Burns.
In Port Hardy, Robbie Burns night was held on Jan 26. at the Royal Canadian Legion Branch 237.
The first Robbie burns night was held in 1801 to celebrate the poet, who is well known for his poem Auld Lange Syne traditionally sang on New Years Eve, and who lived from 1759 -1796.
Robbie Burns nights are celebrated with a Burns supper which traditionally includes haggis, whisky,bagpipes, poems, and music.
They are traditionally held on or around Jan. 25 to commemorate Robbie Burn’s birthday.
Highlights of the event include the “Piping of Haggis” where everyone stands as the haggis is brought in.
It is usually brought in by the cook on a large dish, generally while a piper plays the bagpipe and leads the way to the host’s table, where the haggis is laid down.
Then the poem, the address to the Haggis is performed, and at the end of the poem, a whisky toast will be proposed to the haggis, and then everyone sits down to the meal.