Tartan Day Attire?????

[David Thorpe]

A couple of Mexican Days -- Cinco de Mayo (5th of May) and Diez y Seis (16th of September). I don't know if the celebrations are anywhere near universal, but in South Texas they are an institution.
There are also many ethnic-oriented festivals around the country, although I don't know specific dates associated therewith.
Then, of course, there's St. Patrick's Day, which I understand is done quite differently here than in Ireland.

[EagleJCS]

Jock,
As Kyle said, many metropolitan areas have heritage festivals celebrating various aspects of their citizens' ethic heritage. The Scots/Scottish-Americans are, in fact, "late to the party" in this regard.

I can recall about 30 years ago we had Heritage Weekends on 3-4 different weekends through the summer months, celebrating Greek, Italian, Mexican/Latin American, Asian (a much smaller population in town, so they were all lumped together) and other ethnicities.

Those Heritage Weekends have all been combined into one larger World Fest (due to economies of scale, etc.) taking place near the end of the summer. In addition, we still have "St. Pat's", Cinco de Mayo, the Chinese New Year/Tet and a couple of other smaller observations in the ethnic enclaves in town.

This city used to be much more segregated into ethnic areas than it is now. The neighborhood labels still exist, though: Germantown, Irish Hill, etc. Some neighborhoods were/are also associated with certain socio-economic status and ethnicities, though they didn't have the ethnic labels.

In short, if you really want to find an ethnic/cultural/heritage celebration of any sort, it is possible to find one.


To get back to the OP's question: as others have said, don't over-think it and just wear your normal daywear.

[RockyR]

Thanks for the info chaps. I know this is vearing off course, but just one more question, if I may? Do you chaps have an English Day, a Welsh Day, a Polish Day,a German Day, a Mexican Day, a Greek Day,a Whoever Day, too?

In areas with a high concentration of a certain ethnicity, there are often days (festivals) celebrating that ethnicity. Examples:

Mexican: Cinco De Mayo (the 5th of may)
Italian: Columbus Day (where Christopher Columbus "discovered" a land with people on it... still confused by that one)
Irish: St. Paddy's Day
German: the entire month of October - Octoberfest!
African Americans: Entire month of February is "Black History Month"
Earthlings: Earth Day (April 22nd)
Peurto Ricans: Not sure the day, but I know there's a parade
Polish: There's a festival near me at the "shrine of our lady of Czestochowa" which happens every summer (which I attend with my wife and their mother who is Polish)

Many of these are simply a way to celebrate different cultures, experience a little of that culture and an excuse to party. We Americans don't just 'do this' with Scottish culture, Jock... we do it with ALL cultures who have been strong parts of our national identity.

There are also a NUMBER of Highland Games / Celtic Festivals around the US, mostly during the summer months. I don't think I'd be exaggerating if I said there were probably 500 or more across the 50 states (varying in size from 50 patrons to over 100,000 patrons). Typically the Welsh and English get lumped in to the generic "Celtic Festival" without big celebrations of their own. I'm here in the HOTBED of Welsh ancestry in the US (Philadelphia region... many of our towns have Welsh names) and there are little to no Welsh events that I'm aware of.

[creagdhubh]

Harold,

For your viewing pleasure, mate:



Cheers,

[David Thorpe]

Italian: Columbus Day (where Christopher Columbus "discovered" a land with people on it... still confused by that one)

October 12 - Also more recently celebrated in other circles as Native American Day, somewhat in protest to that "discovery" claim.

African Americans: Entire month of February is "Black History Month"

There's also Juneteenth, marking the news of the signing of the Emancipation Proclaimation arriving in Galveston, two and a half years after the signing.

[artificer]

German: the entire month of October - Octoberfest!

Mein Gott, Rocky - as a good German lad yourself you should know that Oktoberfest is actually in mid-September! (22 Sept thru 7 Oct in 2012)

ith:

[LANCER1562]

In the S.F. Bay Area, AT&T Park (the S.F. baseball stadium) has Cultural Heritage Days during the Giants baseball season: Filipino, Mexican, Japanese, Chinese, Irish, Itaialian, Native American, but nothing specifically Scot.

[creagdhubh]

Mein Gott, Rocky - as a good German lad yourself you should know that Oktoberfest is actually in mid-September! (22 Sept thru 7 Oct in 2012)

ith:

I was going to point that out, but figured someone else would...thanks Scott! And, it's more of a Bavarian (Southern German) thing!

Prost!

[RockyR]

I'll do you one better... I'll celebrate it from mid September through mid November, JUST TO BE SURE.

[MacBean]

So, give me a clue here. What is Tartan Day? Is a ceremonial thing with perhaps a religious ceremony? An excuse for a party? A march with bands playing? A thing that you chaps do "over there"? I have never heard of it"over here". I have no idea what to advise, I am afraid.

Perhaps you've heard of St.Patty's Day (a big thing, especially in pubs and offices in the USA)? I think someone got tired of being outdone by the Irish (who sometimes sport kilts and pipe bands) and invented a new festival called Tartan Day. In NYC, where it is a week-long splash, it's basically a commemoraton of Scottish heritage. Wouldn't make any sense in Scotland I suppose!