PROGRAMMES IN A BOX
BURNS NIGHT
A Burns supper is a celebration of the life and poetry of the poet Robert Burns, author of many Scots poems. The suppers
are normally held on or near the poet's birthday, 25 January, sometimes also known as Robert Burns Day or Burns Night
(Burns Nicht), although they may in principle be held at any time of the year.
You might like to divide the Unit into a number of teams for the preparation time, then come together for the “Supper” itself
A leader may have to arrive early to start cooking the Haggis due to the cooking time.
Time Activity
5
Welcome & Opening Ceremony
Start the evening and explain to them what they will be doing that evening.
30
Team Activity: Prepare for Burns Supper
- Split the Unit into small teams and ask each of them to prepare the
following parts of the Burns Supper
Notes
Equipment: Pencils
Resources: Instructions for
Cooking the Haggis
Selkirk Grace & Address To a Haggis
Practise reading the two speeches
Cooking
Refer to the “Instructions for Cooking the Haggis” resource
Immortal memory and appreciation
One of the guests gives a short speech, remembering some aspect of
Burns' life or poetry. This may be light-hearted or intensely serious. The
speaker should always prepare a speech with his audience in mind, since
above all, the Burns' supper should be entertaining.
Everyone drinks a toast to Robert Burns.
Toast to the Lassies
This was originally a short speech given by a male guest in thanks to
those women who had prepared the meal. However nowadays it is much
more wide ranging, and generally covers the male speaker's view on
women. It is normally amusing but should never be offensive, particularly
bearing in mind that it will be followed by a reply from the "lassies"
concerned.
The men drink a toast to the women's health.
Reply to the Toast to the Lassies
This is occasionally (and humorously) called the 'Toast to the Laddies',
and like the previous toast it is generally quite wide ranging nowadays. In
it a female guest will give her views on men and reply to any specific
points raised by the previous speaker. Like the previous speech this
should be amusing but not offensive. Quite often the speakers giving this
toast and the previous one will collaborate so that the two toasts
complement each other.
Works by Burns
Reading of “My Luve is like a Red Red Rose” and “To a Mouse”
Closing
Finally the host will wind things up, calling on one of the guests to give
the vote of thanks, after which everyone is asked to stand, join hands,
and sing Auld Lang Syne which brings the evening to an end.
50
Unit Activity: Burns Supper
- Conduct the Burns Supper, following the order laid out above – with
each team contributing the piece they have practised
Equipment: tables, chairs, plates
and cutlery etc
5
Closing Ceremony
Wrap up the evening, give out any notices for next week etc.
Notices: Give out any notices for
the coming weeks.
Looking for an alternative idea? Try Programmes Online (www.scouts.org.uk/pol) ‐ thousands of activities, tried and tested by leaders from around the UK. Instructions for Cooking the Haggis, Neeps and Tatties
Ingredients
First find a good, spicy haggis, either from your local butcher, deli, supermarket or nearest Scottish store if
you live overseas. Contrary to what we tell overseas visitors, you cannot hunt one down at the top of
Scottish mountain peaks, hills, glens, moors or shooting estates. There are many award-winning haggis
makers with various ingredients from traditional beef and lamb to vegetarian, pork, smoked venison or
even kosher.
Haggis travels well and therefore can be ordered over the internet to be delivered by post, although there
are import restrictions in countries such as America and Canada. It will keep up to one month in the fridge
and from six months to a year in the freezer. If the haggis is to be a main course, the average portion
should be around 6-8 oz (150-200 g) per person and 4 oz (100 g) if served as a starter.
Turnips and potatoes are also essential accompaniments, available from farmers’ markets, delis, market
gardens, vegetable stores, supermarkets or your own back garden.
The haggis is already cooked and just needs some careful re-heating until it is piping hot. It may seem
obvious, but it is essential to defrost before cooking if the haggis hasn’t been bought fresh.
Haggis
Pan method
1. Bring a pan of water to the boil.
2. Place the haggis in the pan and turn the heat down immediately. The water should only simmer, not boil
as this may burst the case…resulting in a culinary disaster and a ‘murdert haggis’. Some haggis come in a
‘cook-in bag’ to avoid this problem – otherwise wrapping it in foil would help to protect the contents. The
length of time it should be gently poached depends on the size of your haggis. As a guide, a 1kg haggis
takes around 75 mins.
Oven
1. Remove outer plastic bag and wrap in aluminium foil.
2. Place in a casserole dish with a little water and cook in a pre-heated oven at 180 degrees C (Gas Mark 6)
for around an hour, depending on the size of your haggis. To be on the safe side, test with a cooking
thermometer to a minimum of 63 degrees Centigrade.
Microwave
1. Remove outer bag and skin.
2. Cut into evenly-sized slices and heat on medium for around eight minutes – or as instructed on the
haggis.
3. Halfway through cooking, mash with a fork to ensure an even temperature throughout.
Neeps
1. Peel and quarter the turnip and boil for 25 mins or until soft.
2. Drain and mash with a little butter. Add a teaspoon of caster sugar and season to taste with salt and
pepper.
Tatties
1. Peel and quarter the potatoes and boil for 20 mins or until soft.
2. Drain and mash with a little butter and milk to get a smooth, creamy consistency. Season to taste with
salt and pepper.
Address To a Haggis
Fair fa' your honest, sonsie face,
Great chieftain o' the puddin-race!
Aboon them a' ye tak your place,
Painch, tripe, or thairm:
Weel are ye wordy o' a grace
As lang's my arm.
The groaning trencher there ye fill,
Your hurdies like a distant hill,
Your pin wad help to mend a mill
In time o' need,
While thro' your pores the dews distil
Like amber bead.
His knife see rustic Labour dicht,
An' cut you up wi' ready slicht,
Trenching your gushing entrails bricht,
Like ony ditch;
And then, O what a glorious sicht,
Warm-reekin, rich!
Then, horn for horn, they stretch an' strive:
Deil tak the hindmaist! on they drive,
Till a' their weel-swall'd kytes belyve,
Are bent like drums;
Then auld Guidman, maist like to rive,
"Bethankit" hums.
Is there that o're his French ragout
Or olio that wad staw a sow,
Or fricassee wad mak her spew
Wi' perfect scunner,
Looks down wi' sneering, scornfu' view
On sic a dinner?
Poor devil! see him ower his trash,
As feckless as a wither'd rash,
His spindle shank, a guid whip-lash,
His nieve a nit;
Thro' bloody flood or field to dash,
O how unfit!
But mark the Rustic, haggis fed,
The trembling earth resounds his tread.
Clap in his wallie nieve a blade,
He'll mak it whistle;
An' legs an' arms, an' heads will sned,
Like taps o' thristle.
Ye Pow'rs wha mak mankind your care,
And dish them out their bill o' fare,
Auld Scotland wants nae skinkin ware
That jaups in luggies;
But, if ye wish her gratefu' prayer,
Gie her a haggis!
(sonsie = jolly/cheerful)
(aboon = above)
(painch = paunch/stomach, thairm = intestine)
(hurdies = buttocks)
(dicht = wipe, here with the idea of sharpening)
(slicht = skill)
(reeking = steaming)
(deil = devil)
(swall'd = swollen, kytes = bellies, belyve = soon)
(bent like = tight as)
(auld Guidman = the man of the house, rive = tear, i.e. burst)
(olio = stew, from Spanish olla'/stew pot, staw = make sick)
(scunner = disgust)
(nieve = fist, nit = louse's egg, i.e. tiny)
(wallie = mighty, nieve = fist)
(sned = cut off)
(thristle = thistle)
(skinkin ware = watery soup)
(jaups = slops about, luggies = two-"eared" (handled)
continental bowls)
At the line His knife see rustic Labour dicht the speaker normally draws and cleans a knife, and at the line An' cut you
up wi' ready slicht, plunges it into the haggis and cuts it open from end to end.
When done properly this "ceremony" is a highlight of the evening.
Selkirk Grace
Some hae meat and canna eat,
And some wad eat that want it,
But we hae meat and we can eat,
Sae let the Lord be thankit.
Poems by Robert Burn
My Luve is like a Red Red Rose
O my Luve's like a red, red rose,
That's newly sprung in June:
O my Luve's like the melodie,
That's sweetly play'd in tune.
As fair art thou, my bonie lass,
So deep in luve am I;
And I will luve thee still, my dear,
Till a' the seas gang dry.
Till a' the seas gang dry , my dear,
And the rocks melt wi' the sun;
And I will luve thee still, my dear,
While the sands o' life shall run.
And fare-thee-weel, my only Luve !
And fare-thee-weel, a while!
And I will come again, my Luve,
Tho' 'twere ten thousand mile!
To a Mouse (Modern English version)
Small, crafty, cowering, timorous little beast,
O, what a panic is in your little breast!
You need not start away so hasty
With argumentative chatter!
I would be loath to run and chase you,
With murdering plough-staff.
I'm truly sorry man's dominion
Has broken Nature's social union,
And justifies that ill opinion
Which makes thee startle
At me, thy poor, earth born companion
And fellow mortal!
I doubt not, sometimes, but you may steal;
What then? Poor little beast, you must live!
An odd ear in twenty-four sheaves
Is a small request;
I will get a blessing with what is left,
And never miss it.
Your small house, too, in ruin!
Its feeble walls the winds are scattering!
And nothing now, to build a new one,
Of coarse grass green!
And bleak December's winds coming,
Both bitter and keen!
You saw the fields laid bare and wasted,
And weary winter coming fast,
And cozy here, beneath the blast,
You thought to dwell,
Till crash! the cruel plough passed
Out through your cell.
That small bit heap of leaves and stubble,
Has cost you many a weary nibble!
Now you are turned out, for all your trouble,
Without house or holding,
To endure the winter's sleety dribble,
And hoar-frost cold.
But little Mouse, you are not alone,
In proving foresight may be vain:
The best laid schemes of mice and men
Go often askew,
And leave us nothing but grief and pain,
For promised joy!
Still you are blest, compared with me!
The present only touches you:
But oh! I backward cast my eye,
On prospects dreary!
And forward, though I cannot see,
I guess and fear!
Immortal Address
Robert Burns (25 January 1759 – 21 July 1796) (also known as Rabbie Burns, Scotland's favourite son, the
Ploughman Poet, Robden of Solway Firth, the Bard of Ayrshire and in Scotland as simply The Bard)[1][2] was
a Scottish poet and a lyricist. He is widely regarded as the national poet of Scotland, and is celebrated
worldwide. He is the best known of the poets who have written in the Scots language, although much of his
writing is also in English and a "light" Scots dialect, accessible to an audience beyond Scotland. He also
wrote in standard English, and in these his political or civil commentary is often at its most blunt.
He is regarded as a pioneer of the Romantic movement, and after his death he became a great source of
inspiration to the founders of both liberalism and socialism. A cultural icon in Scotland and among the
Scottish Diaspora around the world, celebration of his life and work became almost a national charismatic
cult during the 19th and 20th centuries, and his influence has long been strong on Scottish literature. In
2009 he was voted by the Scottish public as being the Greatest Scot, through a vote run by Scottish
television channel STV.
As well as making original compositions, Burns also collected folk songs from across Scotland, often revising
or adapting them. His poem (and song) Auld Lang Syne is often sung at Hogmanay (the last day of the year),
and Scots Wha Hae served for a long time as an unofficial national anthem of the country. Other poems and
songs of Burns that remain well-known across the world today include A Red, Red Rose; A Man's A Man for
A' That; To a Louse; To a Mouse; The Battle of Sherramuir; Tam o' Shanter, and Ae Fond Kiss.
*** Propose a toast to the memory of Robert Burns ***