A rare white stag was sighted in Scotland. It is a rare sight and I thought I'd bring it to your attention. Legends says they bring messages from another world.
It is legend that you see. Like Narnia or Lord of the Rings, this is the real deal. Of course, the last one seen last year was shot and killed.
In 2007, the only white stag believed to be in Britain was shot and beheaded by poachers. The decapitated 300lb carcass of the animal was found strung up from a tree.
The White Stag is actually a variant of the male red deer. The one sighted in 2007 was kept secret for years. The people of the community where the deer was found considered the deer sacred.
The deer is sacred in many traditions and in Celtic and Egyptian mythologies.
Hopefully, the new white stag will remain alive. Unfortunately all the added press will bring out poachers who may repeat the acts of 2007.
Check out the video below and see the footage of the stag. It is not a hoax, white stags do exist.
Every year Scotland participates in the Six Nations Rugby Tournament. It is the sporting event that takes the headlines. The fans react to it similar to how we react to March Madness. Scotland is struggling lately to do well in the tournament and unfortunately England has a very good team, which can get upsetting.
The six teams are: England, France, Ireland, Italy, Scotland and Wales.
If you have never seen a rugby match then you may not appreciate the athleticism and brute force of the matches. The game is very similar to American football however, no one wears pads and even the big defensive guys have to run up and down the field all the time. There are no substitutions every play. These guys are fit and the game is brutal. Blood and broken bones are common each game.
Scotland was destroyed on Sunday by France in a 27-6 match played in Edinburgh at Murrayfield.
France has a very good team. It would not be surprising to see England play France in the finals.
Below are some rugby highlights from previous seasons. Check it out and experience the frenzied nature of rugby.
Today is Robert Burns birthday. If you are a fan of Scotland, then you should be celebrating today. For Robert Burns was a great man, a great Scot, and worthy of a holiday.
Burns was a romancer, a farmer and a patriot. He is Scotland's favorite son.
He was born on January 25, 1759. He came from a poor farming background. Although he recieved a good education despite his family situation. He had a zests for the life of poetry, nature, women, and drink.
The death of Robert Burns was very sad. The doctor advised him to go swimming in cold water to cure his rheumatic fever and instead got pneumonia. He died at 37.
Enjoy a good Burns Night and in the spirit of Burns, I write:
Robert Burns is a National Hero in Scotland. His life is celebrated and honored as much as George Washington's in the United States. Some places in the US, will hail the fact the Washington slept there. The same thing happens in Scotland where towns claim to be a place where Burns lived. Click on the pictures in this entry to go to the various clubs. On their sites you can learn more about Burns and get a true impression of how Scots feel about Burns. It is something very unique.
If you would like to join a Burns club, here's a start. The World Federation.
Click on the image of Burns and join.
Click the picture to the left and watch a video to get you in the mood for Burns Night.
Burns night is January 25th. It is a ritual similar to Thanksgiving but with many differences. The first thing you will notice is the dress. Men wear kilts and woman in tartan dresses. The mood is extremely festive.
The haggis. It is the most important part of the night. It is going to be eaten and addressed (spoken of). You will not understand most of what is said, as the speeches are written in old Scottish tongue. But you will get the point.
Right now, Scotland is considering lobbying the United States to lift a ban on hagis, in hopes of boosting the sales of the sheep-stomach-based national dish. (click here for the full story)
I was lucky to be used as prop in the filming of how a proper "Burns Night Dinner" should be done. I was the "virgin American" and it was a great experience. The boys got in an argument on the pronouncation of one word. I can't quite remember what word although it was a fiery debate between the president of one Burns Club against the other. That's how serious it is.
"To the Haggis" is the first poem spoken and the one that cuts the haggis for the dinner to commence. Kind of like carving the turkey.
I went to an informal Burns night and the same poem is read but not one measures each word and action. It is said and dinner starts, however, part of their dinner was reading poetry about the guests and it was very fun.
The idea is to have fun. Burns loved to have fun and so to keep his spirit alive, Burns Nights should be exciting, with loud voices, good drink and food plus dancing.
If there is one person you need to read about, it is Robert Burns. He is a legend in Scotland and his birthday celebration every year requires skill and knowledge to appreciate.
I was lucky enough to attend two Burns suppers in Scotland. In the next couple of days, I will provide ideas, stories and details about Burns supper. January 25th is his birthday and throughout Scotland, families, communities and all the rest will be celebrating with a dinner of haggis, neeps and tatties. A bottle of whisky will be emptied, songs will be sung, and dancing is a necessity. The joy of being a Scot will be celebrated.
Why? Robert Burns represents the spirit of Scotland for many reasons. He was a farmer and much debate is made of his farming. Some say he was unlucky and others say he was a poor farmer and much fiery debate will continue if you mention it.
As we prepare for the big night in the next few days, remember to be open minded and know that if you truly appreciate Scotland, you must appreciate this man. It is like not appreciating George Washington or Thomas Jefferson. In Robert Burns, his words define the nation.
Boxing Day is a public holiday recongized in the United Kingdom, Canada, New Zeeland and Australia, as well as many other members of the Commonwealth of Nations. It is celebrated on December 26th, the day after Christmas.
Boxing Day had its origins in the feudal eras when lairds would give their serfs a boxful of food, clothing, etc. as a gift. Thus "Boxing Day". Many of the lower classes were given gifts from the upper classes on this day.
Today, in all of the countries it is another reason to be festive however, sales at stores reflect the United States and many shoppers hit the malls.
Churches and citizens box up whatever leftover from Christmas and deliver it to homeless and others.
It is also know that during war time, the boxes would go to soldiers.
Unfortunately, Boxing Day brings another tradition of the fox hunt despite the hunt being banned throughout the UK for the past three years. However, the tradition continues.
Edinburgh's Hogmanay is one of the best. Click on the sparkling lassies and find out more.
Hogmanay shuts down Scotland for two days! Let the party begin!
Click on this picture for more Hogmanay info.
Make that FOUR days! Young old and everyone in between take up the torches, drink the drams and present the coal. It's a fine festival that celebrates the new year. Dance the night away.
The most popular Scottish toys seems to be farm equipment and Bob the Builder as well. That's a certain age group. Video games are very popular. In fact, as I walked the campus of the university, you could see students cornered off in their respective lounges playing games. One of the local pubs had monitors at the tables for people to play sports games.
To see other toys available click on the picture.
There are ToysRUs stores in Scotland with all the same goodies as our country. So as far as toys go, there isn't much difference between the two countries. I'm not sure about Barbie dolls and stuff like that but for the boys its pretty much trucks, sports and video games.
Click on the picture and find out what a ToysRUs in Scotland has that we don't.
HOW TO HAVE A TRADITIONAL SCOTTISH CHRISTMAS any of the elements of the Christmases of the Celtic countries are the same. If you have already read through the other countries, you will know how this one is going to go, with books to put you in the right spirit, music to set the 'tone'! (forgive the pun here!), decorating ideas and customs to follow.
First the Decorations. Scotland tended to hang evergreens, the holly particularly. But My Scottish Tree is decorated with bows made from many different tartans. A strip of cloth is all you need. from 1" to 8" widths and around 18" to 4' long. Then I select plain enamelled baubles in different sizes to compliment to colours of the tartans, from black (yes they do work!) to rich greens, reds, deep gold, and blues. For the tree top I put a teddy bear with a tartan beret! But you could use a large tartan bow, or a simple star.
Next the music. The most traditional one is Hogmanay Party by Jimmy MacLeod and his band. Rousing and foot-tapping, you can sing , dance or just turn this one down for background music. A must for a Scottish Christmas party!
A good all-rounder with carols like Taladh Chriosta, Scottish songs and music such as New Year's Day and Bottom of the Punch Bowl, well blended with some of the more popular carols such as God Rest ye Merry, Gentlemen. Many of which you can hear a sample of at the Amazon.com music site.
To read I recommend Silver Bough vol.3. Calendar of Scottish National Festivals - Halloween to Yule. This one has all the customs for you to follow, many of which are very old. A must for anyone who is of Scottish ancestry and wishes to live the seasons as their forefathers did! This book is available through IBS Bookshop, from this site.
Also, if you can find it, The Scottish Yule an American publication by Francis Thompson, who has written many other Scottish books. This does not appear on the pages of either IBS or Amazon, that I could find, but is the best book of Scottish Christmas and Hogmanay customs. Try Amazons out of print book service if you cannot find it on their pages. Published in 1987 by Scoters, Burton Mills, Virginia. 26525. Please mention this site - they dont know us, but maybe they should!
You must have a Scottish Shortbread on your table. You can make it, or buy the real McCoy. Black Bun, and a Venison Stew would set the right feel at the table. ** the above is copied from http://www.christmasarchives.com/how2scottish.html
A Scottish Christmas walk in Virgina...check it out.
You can call me what you wish, some call me Kilty.
Originally, I had a blog on 360 Yahoo which contained 455 entries and had 73,000 hits...then one day poof...Yahoo went somewhere to work on bigger and better things and my blog disappeared into oblivion. So, I started this blog.
I spent last year in Scotland pursuing a PhD. I'm back in the States attempting to continue my studies after a family tragedy prevents me returning to Scotland. I miss Scotland. In my travels I learned a lot about the country and what Americans need to know. Hopefully, this site can help you better understand Scotland and how to maximize your travels.
If you have any feelings for anything Scottish, this is the place to go.
Check out my blog everyday...I update it every morning (US time).
Join in the fun. I hope I don't disappoint.
A rare white stag was sighted in Scotland. It is a rare sight and I thought I'd bring it to your attention. Legends says they bring messages from another world.
