Tartan Etiquette

[SorenMacTavish]

Slightly off topic, but I think Jock raises a very interesting point. We sons and daughters of emigrants to the various colonies can be very interested in tracing our connections back to the old country; indeed, it is often a powerful reason to wear the kilt in the first place. I think it is part of a basic human need to understand where we come from. Not everyone has it as strongly as the members of XMTS perhaps, but a need nonetheless. It is probably a trite observation, but the people who still live where their ancestors have always lived probably do not feel the same need to the same extent, probably because they already know or feel they know their cultural and genealogical origins. Hence the locals feel no need to justify their tartan choice, whereas the diaspora does.


This idea was reinforced for me whilst watching 2 documentaries recently; one on Vietnamese babies that were flown to Australia in 1975 as part of Operation 'Babylift' and the other on Ethiopian refugees. The people involved felt like they 'lacked something' that only a visit to their country of origin, connecting with their relatives who stayed behind, and sampling their culture, could fill. But they were also very happy to come 'home' to Australia by the end of the journey. Similar issues continue to be a problem for many indigenous Australians who were adopted out at birth in a misguided attempt to assimilate them into white Australia. It is a cross-cultural issue.


I understand their need completely having just experienced the compulsive addiction known as 'Ancestry.com'. I now have an even stronger compulsion to visit ALL the places where my ancestors originated, not the just the place from where my father's father's etc came.


Be that as it may, I think the idea is very relevant to this discussion. When your ancestors left the old country 4 or 5 or even more generations ago, sometimes in murky and unrecorded circumstances, any clan affiliation was often broken and left behind as well. Families themselves were often broken up. Language and culture was lost or was changed by 'rose-coloured memory'. When you are removed from your place of origin and are no longer surrounded by a large number of people who are directly related to you, the need to 'reconnect' with your origins can be very strong.


So I think the simple rule of 'wear the tartan of your father's line' is entirely appropriate for people who still live in the UK. I think it is much less straightforward for the Celtic diaspora who feel a strong need to reconnect with the culture of their ancestors by wearing the kilt, but they aren't sure of the connection (because the link was broken long ago), their family histories are complex or simply not known, and there is no cultural context to help them.


Thank goodness for XMTS and the great rabble because you, my friends, help us fill the vacuum.


All the best,


John

John, beautifully stated perspective. And I must say it very much rang home for me.

Yes, I admit, I am one of those trying desperately to reclaim all of my heritage. (and yes, I too became addicted to ancestry.com...busted!!)

I was raised knowing about my mother's heritage and the sad reality of "ujamiit" (leather ID tags issued to Inuit peoples by the Canadian government for census and registry) which stripped my mother's relatives of their names and ancestry and reduced them to merely a number (number code being: E or W for if they were east or west of Gjoa Haven, followed by a string of numbers for what district they were in and the number of people in their immediate family). This fact made tracing her ancestry rather difficult after about 4 generations. Hard to find names yanno when the governmental records are just a series of numbers.

So, as to my father's ancestry, I resumed contact with him after years of being estranged from him, and with his help and that of ancestry.com; I was able to trace his beautifully rich ancestry clear back to 397AD

With that knowledge of where part of my family comes from, comes the burning desire to re-connect with my lineage, however, I want to do it in the most respectful way, and not make myself out to be just another "dumb-a** American"....hence my rather naive question being posed earlier.

Thus to date, I have only worn "MUGs" or memorial tartan (Confederate Memorial), and recently ventured into buying a "fan-based" tartan (R'Lyeh sett), but I wanted to make an informed decision before purchasing a tartan from a clan affiliation (as I stated earlier in the thread).


Anyhow, back in topic...(brain got derailed there for a moment)

Seems, there is a clear distinction in views from the UK, the US, Canada and other places abroad. And well, I think that all views are valid for the person saying them and perhaps the regions they are representing.

As you stated John, many of us not from the UK, do tend to be the "Celtic Diaspora" and are looking to connect with that part of our heritage in just about any way we can...be it through the tartans or otherwise.

And well, I think another very valid point is being made here by other posters; that point being, "don't be that guy/gal who looks like a schmuck".

So, the gist of what I am getting here from the rabble is wear what you will, but be mindful and respectful about it. Seems pretty sound advice if you ask me, and advice that can be used in many other situations as well.